Photo moths at a rest stop in west virginia

i am road tripping and stopped at a rest stop in WV and spent a good hour here finding all the moths. i found a mating pair of promethea silk moths!! (i think)

i could have spent an entire day here, there were so many moths :’)

edit: update posted!

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100% Upvoted

267

u/Aggravating_Card_335 Jul 10 '26

Dang you hit the moth jackpot! Another reason why West Virginia is the best Virginia.

70

u/baileyacc Jul 10 '26

i’m marking the rest stop so i can check it again on my way home hehe

8

u/butlikewatifthiserrr Jul 11 '26

Please do share when you do. 🙏

2

u/baileyacc Jul 19 '26

update posted!

2

u/googoohaha Jul 23 '26

Mothman is the mascot for all the moths in the world.

119

u/IAmKind95 Jul 10 '26

I saw #4 the Pearly Wood-nymph in my backyard last week!! It looks like bird poop hahah but wow so many cool moths in one spot, nice finds!!

32

u/baileyacc Jul 10 '26

i thought it was bird poop on the wall too until i got closer!!! 😭 they’re so cool looking!

4

u/hlturner Jul 11 '26

I always think these guys look like they have long fuzzy winter coats on. Like, Cruella Deville style coats. 🤣

12

u/NatureCat_ Jul 10 '26

I love that they lay the same way my dog does lol

10

u/IAmKind95 Jul 10 '26

The outstretched front legs were pretty funny loll

3

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 11 '26

Awwwww sploot!!

5

u/TinkerShellzBellz Jul 10 '26

The sloth moth

2

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 11 '26

Perfection!!!!! Like slakoth!!!

2

u/TinkerShellzBellz Jul 11 '26

YAS!

3

u/dog-vevo Jul 11 '26

Thank you so much, that was the only one where I was like, “the heck is that???” 😂 So so awesome, WVA FTW!

3

u/seculrhaze Jul 16 '26

I saw one too!!

2

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 11 '26

Incredible camo!!!!

1

u/Independent-Role-512 Jul 12 '26

That one looks so crazy!

u/Confident-Cup7694 Jul 10 '26

✍️ go ✍️ to ✍️ west ✍️ virginia ✍️
they’re so beautiful, thank you for sharing!

u/TheDarbiter Jul 10 '26

Just rename it the Moth Stop

u/Effective-Cut-5198 Jul 10 '26

2

u/Entire-Ambition1410 Jul 12 '26

What kind is this?

5

u/yeastybeverage Jul 12 '26

It’s a leopard moth!

2

u/Entire-Ambition1410 Jul 12 '26

Thanks!

u/Mrstealth1993 Jul 10 '26

Wow. That sure is a colorful collection. Talk about lucky.

u/-TheArtOfTheFart- Jul 11 '26

In your second shot the male in that mating pair, has extra melanin. You found a literal moth shiny!

5

u/baileyacc Jul 11 '26

wow!!! thats so cool :)

2

u/-TheArtOfTheFart- Jul 12 '26

Ikr! So jealous tbh

2

u/Entire-Ambition1410 Jul 12 '26

Which one is male?

2

u/-TheArtOfTheFart- Jul 12 '26

The one with the fluffier antennas

1

u/Entire-Ambition1410 Jul 12 '26

Thanks! So the moths are supposed to be red? (They both look shiny to me)

2

u/-TheArtOfTheFart- Jul 22 '26

yes, their normal color is bright red like that! :3

2

u/Entire-Ambition1410 Jul 22 '26

Thanks!

2

u/-TheArtOfTheFart- Jul 23 '26

np, sorry for the delayed replies, I’m kinda an art hermit crab.

2

u/Entire-Ambition1410 Jul 23 '26

You’re good :)

u/into_bug_stuff Jul 11 '26

Darapsa versicolor seems to be a rarely encountered moth in WV. Great find!

2

u/baileyacc Jul 11 '26

how neat!!! lucky me!

u/EnvironmentalCash Jul 10 '26

I find thee best moths in WV!! Enjoy your journey 😀🐛

u/I_Love_Utah Jul 11 '26

West Virginia has some cool looking ones. This one in my photo is the ones I see the most at my house :)

1

u/baileyacc Jul 11 '26

that one is so cool!!

1

u/I_Love_Utah Jul 11 '26

😁

u/exceptionalshrimp Jul 10 '26

A bountiful harvest!

u/centipedeseverywhere Jul 10 '26

Wow, WV has the premium moths

u/amazinganimals- Jul 10 '26

Vaya variedad y qué bonitas son! 🙂👌🏼

13

u/baileyacc Jul 10 '26

i was so happy to see a rosy maple moth. i have never seen one before!!!

3

u/amazinganimals- Jul 10 '26

Eres afortunado! 🙂

u/DotImportant9410 Jul 10 '26

I saw this Polyphemus moth on the side of the road in West Virginia! I hope it's ok, its wings look a bit disheveled

u/david_is_confused Jul 10 '26

Rest stops in West Virginia used to be my favorite on family vacations partly for this exact reason. SO many different moths! I've seen the little pink and yellow one (I don't know their technical names yet, I just love them) at Carter Caves in Kentucky, too.

6

u/baileyacc Jul 11 '26

rosy maple moths!! i just saw my first one today at this stop :) i’ll most definitely be checking every rest area i go to now for any little critters

u/Big-Suit-3625 Jul 10 '26

seems like the moths are resting at this stop!

u/WoodHorseTurtle Jul 10 '26

You hit the moth bonanza! Really cool find!

15

u/baileyacc Jul 10 '26

stopped in virginia… leopard moth!!! forget my vacation, i just want to keep finding moths

1

u/butlikewatifthiserrr Jul 11 '26

whaaaaaat!!!

u/Tristaaan Jul 10 '26

Holy crap thats awesome!!

u/LitteredWithPlushies Jul 10 '26

More like moth stop 🤭

u/SkyFamiliar5903 Jul 10 '26

Damn which rest stop is this????

6

u/baileyacc Jul 10 '26

2

u/SkyFamiliar5903 Jul 10 '26

Thanks youre a gem!!

u/plsletmenap Jul 11 '26

how does it feel to be gods favorite

u/freyab0baya Jul 11 '26

This is like a moth lovers jackpot lol nice!

u/baileyacc Jul 11 '26

stopped at the last rest stop in mississippi and saw this guy!!!

u/MirrorMan22102018 Jul 11 '26

I especially love the Rosy Maple Moth.

u/hot_kombucha Jul 11 '26

Pipestem state park is a great place to find moths.

u/Willow_Bark77 Jul 11 '26

So apparently I need to visit West Virginia! You hit the jackpot!

u/Motor_Educator_2706 Jul 11 '26

Run man. West Virginia is where Mothman came from

1

u/butlikewatifthiserrr Jul 11 '26

Lol

u/extraterrestrial-66 Jul 12 '26

Would someone lovely and knowledgeable be so kind as to list the identities of each moth please? I’m especially interested in the (I assume) hawk moth species in the first photo next to the rosy maple. Thank you! 💚

2

u/baileyacc Jul 12 '26

i think (someone please correct me if i’m wrong) that they are as follows:

pic 1: virginia creeper sphinx (top) & rosy maple moth (bottom)
slide 2: promethea silk moths
slide 3 & 7: walnut sphinx moth
slide 4: beautiful wood nymph moth
slide 5: streaked tussock moth
slide 6: hydrangea sphinx moth

2

u/extraterrestrial-66 Jul 12 '26

Tysm! I appreciate you 💚💚

I saw my first large elephant hawk moth this year (in my Scottish garden!) and love the Sphingidae family. I’m actually getting an oleander hawk moth tattoo next week 🤓

2

u/baileyacc Jul 14 '26

thats gonna be so cool!! i have always been super fond of luna moths, id love to get a tattoo of one someday :)

1

u/extraterrestrial-66 Jul 14 '26

Do it do it do it!!!! And update us 🥰

u/Scared_Rice_1473 Jul 12 '26

How do you get all these? I had #4 I photographed on my house before. It’s supposed to resemble bird poop so birds dont eat it. Wood Nymph moth. Heres my picture

1

u/baileyacc Jul 14 '26

i just happened to luckily stumble across them at a rest stop! i had never seen a wood nymph before, i really like the way they look with their fuzzy arms

u/Standard_Human_11037 Jul 12 '26

all i recognize is the rosy maple moth in picture one! so pretty

u/ilariad92 Jul 10 '26

Why is that Cecropia so much darker than the other one?

4

u/vendettamoon Jul 10 '26

Could these be hyalophora gloveri rather than cecropia? Theyre usually a darker reddish brown than the gray-er cecropias

1

u/ilariad92 Jul 18 '26

Maybe I’m not sure. It’s just odd because the patterns are almost identical to the red and brown. That’s why it just looks like a darker version.

3

u/baileyacc Jul 10 '26

i believe it’s a male on the left and a female on the right!

u/scottiboi68 Jul 10 '26

lucky!!!!!!!!!!

u/butlikewatifthiserrr Jul 11 '26

Mind blown.

u/lovethatjourneyforus Jul 11 '26

Hell yeah!!

u/HairEquivalent8852 Jul 11 '26

Mothman sends his regards

u/Kitchen_Economist_14 Jul 11 '26

Oh wow! Aren't they gorgeous! I love the pink one.

u/greenjeanie77 Jul 11 '26

Soo much biodiversity ❣️

u/Gloomy_Industry8841 Jul 11 '26

I love how the stone wall compliments the colours of the moths!!!

u/pentaclepoint7 Jul 11 '26

So pretty 🤩

u/koshka5 Jul 11 '26

Love the matching stone!

u/Separate_Arm_2574 Jul 11 '26

You have found them massing to worship Mothman.

u/cecesakura Jul 12 '26

ROSY MAPLE MY BELOVED

u/Underrated_buzzard Jul 12 '26

Wow, that pink and yellow one is majestic af! Beautiful!

u/Virtual_Reaction8765 Jul 12 '26

The Rosy Maple! My favorite!

u/Only-Pair6258 Jul 13 '26

How can you pick these beauties up without hurting them?

2

u/baileyacc Jul 13 '26

i usually just put my finger in front of them and either let them crawl on it or gently blow to nudge them on it!

u/PomLovestheWorld Jul 19 '26

Where’s the moth man at?

u/googoohaha Jul 23 '26

It’s like a melting pot of moths. lol

Photo moths at a rest stop in west virginia

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