Underwing Moth and Crotalus Horridus

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #87. Here's a member of genus Catocala (underwing moths).

Explanation of Names

Generic epithet Catocala is Greek meaning "beautiful below." (1)

Common name Underwings refers to the posture where the forewings are normally held together over the back at rest, hiding the hindwings beneath. Hence, the hindwings are the (bold and beautiful) underwings that this genus is known for.

The common names of many species are translations of the species epithets; Linnaeus chose a female/marriage theme when naming a few of the earlier-described species, and the practice was continued by later authors (hence we have The Bride, The Girlfriend, Old Wife, The Widow, Once-married Underwing, The Newlywed, The Darling, etc.)

These fanciful names help collectors and moth enthusiasts remember the various species but have no particular significance in themselves. A few species are named after a person or the larval food plant (example: Meske's Underwing, Hawthorn Underwing).

This is a timber rattlesnake my brother saw in the road on the way to my sister's place in W.V. He moved it off the road with a long stick (snake hissed and rattled, but otherwise stayed curled up and acted like a shuffleboard puck). I went back with him later that afternoon to see if I could get some better pics with my camera but the snake had moved on.

Here's looking at you kid Silver-spotted skipper.

Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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