Robert,

Thanks very much for the ID. Rice Stalk Borer was looking like a good possibility for this moth when I looked at online photos, but other members of the genus are rather similar (and some Rice Stalk Borers aren't as heavily marked), so I wanted a second opinion before putting a name on it.

Thanks also for the feedback on photo angles. I can't always get an ideal angle, but in the future I'll do my best to follow those guidelines.

You do know that you don't have to photograph at an "ideal angle," don't you? I flipped your photo in P/S, but any post-production proggie will work.

I'm used to posting my photos on Flickr, where I don't do much post-processing other than cropping (though I know about and have used other post-processing tools). I'm still a BugGuide newbie, so rotating or flipping photos if necessary isn't force of habit just yet. Thanks. :)

Moths are the hardest insect to ID. It doesn't matter which way other insects are oriented, as they follow very detailed keys, such as keys for visible genitalia. Moths, however, rely on visually comparing markings. This is best done when the unknown is oriented to same as the referenced specimen.
Robert

Thanks for all your feedback and help. I appreciate it!
Jennifer