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Photo#87194
Moth-like insect with metallic blue body - Cisseps fulvicollis

Moth-like insect with metallic blue body - Cisseps fulvicollis
Temperance, Monroe County, Michigan, USA
August 21, 2006
I tried to identify this, but I'm striking out. Any thoughts?

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Moth-like insect with metallic blue body - Cisseps fulvicollis Moth-like insect with metallic blue body - Cisseps fulvicollis Moth-like insect with metallic blue body - Cisseps fulvicollis Moth-like insect with metallic blue body - Cisseps fulvicollis

Moved
Moved from Virginia Ctenucha.

8262 -- Virginia Ctenucha Moth -- Ctenucha virginica
In some poses the two species appear extremely similar. But the metallic body and yellow front of face make this one the Va. Ctenucha. Neither feature is seen in this photo but may be seen in other photos in this series.

 
Thank you Bob
I'm concerned that the ones I have under Cisseps fulvicollis do not belong there. I photographed another on Nov 10th that show the yellow face and a metallic body. Are the Ctenucha's in WV? The data in the guide seem to indicate they are a more northern species.

 
Ctenucha virginica range..........
Covell says (southward) to Pennsylvania. Wagner says northern Pennsylvania. John Glaser, in an unpublished mss. covering moths in Maryland states they are common in the western mountains but rare eastward. He recorded them for both Alleghany and Garrett counties from June 17 through July 16th. I would expect them to be found at similar latitude and elevation in West Virginia. This is a species that can appear in photographs to look very much like Y-col. Scapemoth, so you need to see the abdomen or frontal face OR you need to take measurements. My only experience with C. virginica was in western Pennsylvania, and I was shocked by the large size of the moth compared to the Scapemoths in my yard in SE Maryland. I didn't need to see the markings to know what it was.

 
Mine must have been the Cisseps...
I have seen several here in November. The strange thing is I have seen them after several frosts, even after one morning with temp down to 24 degrees.

This my most recent image added to the guide

Thanks for the reply and information Bob.

Looks like a
Yellow-collared Scape Moth, seen here and a first for Michigan in the guide.