Moth of the Moment – Brindled Beauty

I almost missed a moth in the garden last night, a Brindled Beauty, Lycia hirtaria, one of the geometer (inchworm) moths in the family Ennominae. It’s one of those species in which the males have plume-like antennae. It’s subtly, but distinctively patterned. Unfortunately, the one in the garden last night had lost most of its scales on its right forewing and plenty from its left too, so it looked a bit worse for wear for the photoshoot.

These moths are beautiful, the brindled simply means tawny or grayish with darker streaks or spots. The scientific name Lycia hirtaria boils down to referring to the ancient region of what is now southwestern Turkey, Lycia, while the hirtaria comes from Latin hirtus, meaning hairy. That said, the moth is definitely not confined to ancient Turkey. This species can be found in most of Europe, Russia, Japan, and elsewhere.