Insects by Picture
Butterflies and Moths by Picture
Lepidoptera Taxonomy
Tetanolita floridana - BugGuide
I saw this Florida owlet when I just got up on the morning of April 20, 2017. Not much information about it exists online. BugGuide says "larvae probably feed on dead leaves." It ranges from "New York to Florida, west to Texas, north to Wisconsin". In Houston, adults are likely to be found any time of year. BugGuide gives its wingspan as 20-24 mm, but this one looks a little smaller. The aluminum window frame it is on is 20 mm wide, excluding the portion behind the wood trim. However, all the wing marks, as well as the snout and overall shape, match photos of Tetanolita floridana very well.
It was difficult to get a good photo of this moth. The phone camera wanted to focus on things outside the window, and the light was not yet very bright. Also, the corner made it hard to fit the phone, with its clip-on macro lens, in the space to get a close-up. The moth moved several times before I could take this so-so picture.
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