Day 2 features one of the many borer moths which are wasp, hornet, or bee mimics (and are thus diurnal). I have a thing for flies that are mimics, and while most moths aren't quite as convincing, they are still pretty cool. This species is the latest I've photographed; it's a Squash Vine Borer (Melittia cucurbitae). As the name indicates, the larvae feed only on Cucurbita. They are especially fond of pumpkins and zucchini, and can be quite a pest of these and related crops. I grow none of these, so this one was welcome in the yard, nectaring on milkweed.
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| Photo by Julie Craves. All rights reserved. |
2 comments:
I too am a fan of mimics. I just photographed one of these on some kind of squash plant in my friend's garden. I didn't know what it was at the time, but found out shortly after. I let him know he might have a problem. They're very beautiful.
These things reaped heavy destruction on our squash this year, although only a couple plants actually died.
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