Mournful Thyris

Just what exactly does a moth have to be mournful about?

Perhaps that no-one knows exactly what it is? Is it Thyris sepulchralis? BugGuide and Beadle and Leckie think so.

On the other had Ann-Marie Woods and The Moth Photographers Group think it is Pseudothyris sepulchralis. I'd be bummed too if someone thought I was a Pseudohomo sapiens.

But moths don't care about any of this (neither do most humans, just us crazy moth-ers).

Maybe because it is so small?

It is quite striking though, as evidenced by my noticing such a small critter (it's right there in the middle of the image).

I have no idea why it is mournful. And I don't know what "thyris" means either.

🦋  🦋  🦋  🦋  🦋

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.