Skyforest

This is the moth that was at your place - http://www.geocities.com/mothman15/cecropia.htm

Save that picture!! We are very fortunate to have seen this beauty!!
Jonas & I took it over to the ranger station & after learning what it was, decided it would be best if we let it go in the meadow behind the station. Jonas cried while saying good bye, poor kiddo.

Hey DD!!!

Always nice to see you and your pack!!

Amazing discovery your kids found yesterday. Even after living in Florida its rare to see a live butterfly or moth with a 4" wing span. I've done some research "professional sounding word meaing I've looked in a book" about the Cecropia also. They kind of look the same, and I'm sure the guys at the ranger station know better than what I've seen, but from what I've read so far the cecropias' range is east of the Rockies (no pun intended!) The picture I see in a book talks about and shows vibrant red and white colors. The one we saw had blue and white and gray colors, I thought. Maybe the feild book I have doesn't cover every variety.

Doesn't matter though. It was just 'kewl' that we we able to see a few seconds with this beauty of nature and more importantly, that your kids were able to see something like that "in the wild".

See Ya soon, (and glad you guys didn't move!)

MaguaScott

Magua, This one looks similar to what you and DD decribed. It has more of a blue/gray coloring and is found throughout the USA.

http://www.geocities.com/mothman15/Poly.htm