Hugh, Because I had the same thought, I inspected the moth carefully. The scales in the dark spots are black to dark gray. Wear on the thorax and abdomen does not appear to be involved. Bob ---------------------------- On Sep 28, 2011, at 1:12 PM, Hugh McGuinness wrote: > It appears to me that the black marking on the thorax is casued by a loss of > scales. The abdomen may be suffering the same fate. > > Hugh ------------------------ Bob Perkins Woodlawn, Virginia Historian and General Outdoorsman