I decided to post this observation because it illustrates the great satisfaction that comes when one finally figures out a difficult moth. I was only able to get a single, poor photo of this moth back on Sept. 9th. I thought it was odd how it posed with its forewings spread at an angle revealing the underwings. I knew it had to be in one of the primitive micro families but after a pass through MPG I gave up and focused on other id's. Today during my lunch hour, I was scrolling through my unknown folder and came across the image. I decided to give it another try and BINGO there it was--Idioglossa miraculosa--it was so obvious when I saw the MPG image I wondered how I could have possibly missed it the first time. Its a cool little moth in a small family, Batrachedridae, and the larvae feed on a single species of grass, deer-tongue grass (Dicanthelium clandestinum). According to microleps (see here: http://www.microleps.org/Guide/Batrachedridae/index.html), the adult is unusual in both its coloration, being yellow with metallic fasciae on the hind wings only (the only microlep species to feature this), and also for its very distinctive resting posture in which the wings are held partially spread at a characteristic angle. Now, if I could only be so lucky with all the others in my unknown pile! -- J. Merrill Lynch Echo Valley Farm Watauga County, NC Elevation: 3,400 feet
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1072 Idioglossa miraculosa.JPG
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