Colorful But A Moth Not A Butterfly

A Grapevine Epimenis (Psychomorpha epimenis), a mighty colorful creature, but it is a moth and not a butterfly. A small one too, with a wingspan of just 3/4 to 1 inch. Another thing that might trip you up in identifying this as a moth, the Grapevine Epimenis enjoys puddling, which is a behavior that usually is done by butterflies.

And I’m showing you this moth right now because they’ll be out and about before you know it, adults flying around. This particular photo was taken on March 7th, a few years ago.

Their caterpillar food source is the leaves of native grapevines, and Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), which is in the grape family. Adults eat nectar from flowers.

An early spring moth to enjoy!

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.