giant mutant tarantula moth, or...unexpected memory of lorn's childhood?

Last night, I (poorly) took pictures of this crazy bug that was hanging out in the parking lot by my car.


I thought maybe a moth and a tarantula had illicitly gotten their proverbial groove on, but it turns out it's one of these: Polyphemus Moth.

See?




Sadly, when I came across the creature, it was dying, likely because of the damage to its wing as you can or cannot see from my blurry picture.

The thought crossed my mind, last night, that it might be a kind of luna moth. When I was very young, six or seven, a luna moth took up residence for its short life in our backyard in Illinois. It was one of those moments of wonder that you associate with childhood- your parents taking you by the hand to show you something of great value and impressing upon you the beauty and imagination that goes into this world and its creatures. And you, wide-eyed and awed, maybe not completely understanding all of the intricacies therein, cannot help but be struck dumb by the very depth of what you are experiencing.

Oh, to be young again.