Euxoa Auxiliaris

Like the dusty flour covering a miller's garb, wings covered with fine scales easily displaced, eyes, pale colored, reflect light, appear to glow. In army-like groups they crawl across fields or highways, migrating towards the mountains. Sleeping by day, they awake at dusk. Thinking all light is the moonlight they use to guide their nocturnal journeys westward, artificial lights confuse their insect response. During this moist year, they have lingered here, flapping about in my cold coffee, or taking a fatal dip in an open glue pot. Spiraling to the source a moth to flame The text behind the moth specimens reads: Fear of Moths = Mottephobia I’d rather jump out a window than be in a room full of moths. Box text: Up to 72% of the moths body weight is fat, making it one of the richest foods for predators such as the brown bear. The army cutworm (Euxoa Auxiliaris) is a species of moth. The fine scales on its wings rub off easily and look like the dusty flour found in a grain mill. Its caterpillars are pests of oat (Avena saliva) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum). Box lid: Agrotini Noctuidai Lepideptera Insecta

Tufts University, University of Denver, Colorado College, Baylor University, private collections