I would often see these little guys flying around towards the late summer/early days of fall, but could never find one staying still long enough to get a photo, until recently that is! On a blustery day this Vapourer Moth (Orgyia antiqua) took some brief refuge from the wind in a nearby gutter – quickly reaching for my camera with a macro lens attached, I climbed up and grabbed a shot before he took off again. Originally from Europe but now found across N. America, where they are also known as ‘Rusty Tussocks’, these tiny moths only measure between 2-3cm. When seen flitting around during the day they look more of an orange/dark amber colour, especially when back lit, but here against the white backdrop you can see their traditional shades of brown with those white spots on the wings. The feather effect antennae really stand out too and are not something easily noticed when they are flying. Females of the species are unable to fly and basically look like an undetermined grey bug of little note when seen on the ground or amongst old trees and vegetation.
