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Photo#1623101
Callosamia promethea or angulifera - Callosamia

Callosamia promethea or angulifera - Callosamia
Tracys Landing, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA
August 17, 2013
Looks like a Callosomia sp. Attracted to the lights near our flagpole at night. The flagpole lights are brighter than other lights around our house. I have no records of them so far being attracted to lesser lights. Perhaps only intense lights attract these? Then again a better explanation may be below as the outside of the flagpole light is metal, almost a mirror.

I am going to post another photo which I think is the same creature (I could be wrong). In the next photo, the moth is doing something that I have only seen birds. I have seen dragonflies do this as well with their own shadows.

Birds do not seem to understand mirrors. They see their reflections and think it is another bird. This lead the birds I have observed to retreat, attack/intimidate, protect/defend their mate or territory, or attempt to mate with the reflection of themselves.

While I am only going to post one of the photo's, the photos in the sequence show behavior similar to that I have seen with with birds. The moth appears to be very interested in its own reflection in the base of the flagpole light bulb.

All images of Callosamia that I have are directly around the flagpole light. This light is brighter, closer to the ground and also has a reflective outer portion.

Images of this individual: tag all
Callosamia promethea or angulifera - Callosamia Callosamia promethea or angulifera - Callosamia

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