The Feathery Moth - PhotoFeed Contest Macro Photography 176.

As I was heading out to work on Friday morning, in-between a call, this tiny insect on the wall caught my attention. I stopped to take a closer look.

It has a rough-textured look, mottled brown wings and big, feathery, comb-like antennae.

Fascinating.

I'd seen this insect before, but not sure if it was a butterfly or something else. This time, curiosity got the better of me and I couldn’t pass by again without finding out what exactly it was.

Luckily, it was within reach and much easier to capture. So I moved closer, zoomed in and snap, snap. No noise, even had to hold my breathe to avoid scaring it away. Lol.

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Switched on Google lens and searched. Turned out it's a moth - a male Vapourer Moth, Orgyia antiqua.

Family: Erebidae, subfamily Lymantriinae – The tussock moths*

• Common across Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. No wonder it was right here in my yard, resting perfectly still like he owned the spot. Lol.

• They're harmless, no sting or bite. But I'd surely be cautious around them. Hehehe.

• The feathery antennae are just like a radar for tracking females. You can call it nature's version of GPS.

• They're drawn to light at night, so it's common to find them around in the mornings.

Photo session over, I went on my way, while the moth continued to enjoy it's rest. Probably, it had a busy night, flying around, picking up female's scents for mating. Lol.

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And that's it all about my morning find. Have you seen this type of insect before?

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