#walker's moth

Above: note the cute little curly-Q's on the antennae

The scientific name of this species is Sosxetra grata, but it's commonly known as Walker's moth. It has a truly stunning appearance, with its body covered in long, fuzzy bristles and colorful markings that include shades of pink, orange, and yellow.

The moth's unusual appearance allows it to blend in with certain aspects of its environment, as this book explains:

The adult is painted in cryptic colors that match bark, dead leaves, and twigs. Sosxetra grata does particularly well at looking like a rotten and fungus-ridden fragment of a dead leaf, no matter where it is perched during the day.

This species can be found at elevations between 400-1800 meters (roughly 1300-5900 feet) above sea level, with its habitat ranging from Mexico down through Brazil.

Sosxetra grata is especially common in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.

Sources & More Info:

100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica: Walker's Moth

Zookeys: Revision of the Comose Flame Moths of the Genus Sosxetra with Descriptions of a New Genus and Three New Species

500 Insects: a Visual Reference: Sosxetra grata

iNaturalist: Sosxetra grata

that fungus is a clustered clitocybe (Clitocybe subconnexa) that i found during my birthday picnic last year! the taxonomy is super confusing but it is very cool to look at

that tree is called tintureira in portuguese and american pokeweed in english (Phytolacca americana), but i like the portuguese name much better. i just find the color to be so pretty and vibrant i want to squash it between my fingers and eat it (intrusive thoughts Van Gogh style)

now, the common gallinule (Gallinula galeata), i just LOVE how the name in portuguese is galinha-d'água, water chicken are you kidding me?? fucking PERFECT i love the water chicken everybody shut up

and that flashy colorful disheveled thing is a walker's moth (Sosxetra grata) and when i first laid eyes on it i made a sound like uuuhh-aaaghhh is was very weird

Walker’s Moth, Belize

Walker's Moth (Sosxetra grata), 29 July '22, in Costa Rica. Photos © Laurent Hesemans.

Walker’s Moth - Sosxetra grata

This fantastically fluffy moth is scientifically named Sosxetra grata, formerly included in the Noctuidae family but now in Erebidae. This moth is found in cloudforest from Costa Rica to Peru, and also in Belize.

Reference: [1]