Hello, I just needed to jump in here on the huge moth report - Ascalapha odorata. I believe this is what I saw in downtown Denver about a decade ago (I know it's been awhile!).. going into the office building early morning at 17th and California, on the 17th side through the rotating door - a little bird with its wings totally spread out was for some reason clinging to the inside of one of the rotating doors a few inches above the ground. Strange.. was it hurt or worse? When I got inside I immediately turned around and went back outside through the doors to get a closer look..
Wait this was NOT a bird, No, No it was actually a HUGE moth, HUGE -> the LARGEST I have ever seen!! It was just resting, not hurt or anything. I went back inside and went up to the security guard to chat about it - he just nodded and laughed - Yes, he had definitely seen it and most everyone coming through that morning too.. I wondered if I should call the Denver Zoo or Butterfly Pavilion or someone - CPW to see if official folks should come out and capture to relocate it and based on the size it could even make the evening news! But later I learned that moths can indeed get that big.. I hope that leaving it be was the right move.. There are many urban animal and bug folks that adapt and seem thrive just fine and have their own chosen homes, shelters, and routines in the cement jungle..? So based on the size I believe it was this moth species.. who knew that moths could get actually as big as birds and live in the middle of cities?? On Monday, July 6, 2020 at 4:50:17 PM UTC-6, David Gulbenkian wrote: > > I’ve bee emailing Ted Floyd about a rare moth he says he’s dying to see. > Told him it had left, but now am trying to contact him to tell him it’s > still here!! > Have emailed him and left a message on his home phone, but don’t have his > cell. > > He claims this moth is his #1 object to see in nature, so I’m sure he’ll > be grateful! > > David Gulbenkian > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/b263cf80-5666-4162-bebf-216e7efb6900o%40googlegroups.com.
