Hummingbird Moth
Jesse Moore sends in this astonishing photo of a flying… um… lobster.
Yeah, see when they get tired of trawling for carrion on the ocean floor, they go looking for flowers.
What do you mean where are its claws? Well it’s flapping them, isn’t it? That’s why you can’t see them. It’s flapping them very fast.
What about scales? Oh look, it’s past your bedtime.
(But before you go, take this wallpaper.)
Slowly getting the site back onto an even keel. It's nice to get back into the old posting rhythm.
tceisele said,
August 26, 2008 @ 8:59 am
So that’s how this fellow ended up on somebody’s lawn, way away from water! His claws must have got tired!
(Bug Guide has a policy of only being concerned with terrestrial arthropods, or things descended from terrestrial arthropods. They normally don’t take crayfish, but this one was crawling around on land . . .)
Alan said,
August 26, 2008 @ 9:29 am
Plus, not all lobsters have claws! The California spiny lobster does not have any claws, which must mean that it is extremely venomous, sorta like the rule with scorpions (i.e. the smaller the claws on a scorpion, the more venomous it is), right? ;>
Beth said,
August 26, 2008 @ 10:28 am
THAT’s what those critters are! I saw those in OK occasionally, and they’re surprising. About the size of a hummingbird, but definitely an insect. Very cool to see a photo of one
tceisele said,
August 26, 2008 @ 11:24 am
In one of our bird guides, right next to the entry for hummingbirds, they have an entry for these moths. I guess a lot of people get them mixed up.
Brian L. said,
August 26, 2008 @ 10:12 pm
Awesome Pic, Jesse! You continue to astound me, keep it up!
JFargo said,
August 27, 2008 @ 6:00 am
That’s absolutely amazing, and creepy, and awesome. The write up had me laughing out loud, but the picture had me staring at it in awe. It’s fantastic the way nature does things like this, causing one thing to mimic another even though they’re MILES away on the evolutionary charts.
Fantastic. Jesse, I’m going to echo everyone here: Keep it up!
Bill said,
August 27, 2008 @ 6:24 am
Crud. I’ve been trying to get a good picture of one of these to send in. They really love my impatiens out front of the house here in MN.
Scott said,
August 27, 2008 @ 6:33 am
That’s really cool! And the write up is awesome.