Pair of unique moths spotted in the Okanagan recently

It's a tiger moth

Photo: Jacquie McDonald

Is this a tarantula moth?

UPDATE 1:26 p.m.

The debate has been settled.

The moth in the top picture is not a tarantula moth, but a tiger moth.

Several readers clarified the name of the flying critter, which is also known as a garden moth and can be found throughout North America and other parts of the world.

They also confirmed the bottom picture is a sphinx moth.

ORIGINAL 4 a.m.

There is a bit of questioning around today's Bug(s) of the Week.

Some say the moth, above, which was spotted by Penticton resident Jacquie McDonald, is a tarantula moth.

The reader who sent in the moth pictured below thought it to be a sphinx moth.

Both were recently spotted in the Okanagan and both are quite rare, so if you see one consider yourself lucky.

They are also both completely harmless. After all, they are just moths.

The tarantula moth has an intimidating name based on its appearance.

The Polyphemus moth looks like a cross between a moth and a tarantula – hence the name.

They are one of the largest insects in the province and grow to be palm-sized, with a wing span of 10 to 15 centimetres.

Adult Polyphemus moths are only out from May until July and only live for a couple of weeks before they lay eggs.

The larvae are big, fat caterpillars and by fall, the caterpillars turn into chrysalises and they’ll be stuck under a tree all winter until they hatch

Meanwhile, the sphinx moth, also known as a hawk moth or hummingbird moth, are active during the day, unlike other moths that come out only at night.

Hummingbird moths will keep collecting nectar and pollen well into the evening hours, and can be a valuable addition to a garden.

They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including open meadows, forest edges and suburban gardens. They feed on flower nectar, dipping in a long thin proboscis.

They fly and move just like hummingbirds – hence the name.

Like their feathered friends, the moths can remain suspended in the air in front of a flower while they unfurl their long tongues and insert them in flowers to sip nectar. They even emit an audible hum like hummingbirds.

Are these moth classifications accurate? Email us your thoughts.

And if you have had a close encounter of the insect kind, email us a picture and we may feature it as our Bug of the Week.

Photo: Contributed

Is this a sphinx moth?