I’ve had precious little time for photography recently, as I anticipated, but a week ago one of the wee folk apparently decided to offer me an opportunity I couldn’t refuse. We noticed a rather large moth fluttering around outside one of the windows in the evening, but it wouldn’t land so I could get a good look at it. The next morning, however, the first day of summer, this glorious Io moth (Automeris io) was perched on the outside of the window pane. Lighting conditions were challenging at best, but when small rays of sun shone through the pines and lit up the patterns in its wings from behind, I managed to get a dark-ish background around it for a somewhat unconventional ventral-view study.
krikitarts 
Stunning capture!
I’m happy that you like it, Hien–thanks for letting me know!
Its a great picture, Gary, and I can see it’s a moth, but if we lose its abdomen and wings it reminds me very much of some little hairy goblin or kid’s toy! Adrian
Isn’t it great fun to project what is familiar to us onto the visage of a new creature? I hesitate to speculate how it would feel about the removal of its abdomen and/or wings, but on the other hand, it might delight in the opportunity to be a child’s toy. Who knows?
Amazing photo!!!
Tusind tak!
Hello Gary! Great capture and I have to agree with Adrian, it looks like it has a face with a great big beard!
I’ve long been partial to a good beard, and yes, this–on a person–would indeed be a great one, worthy of any big, blond lumberjack!
Amazing photo, the detail is absolutely special. You did such an exceptional job with some really hard conditions.
It’s fun to rise to a challenge, Charlie, as you well know. BTW, my Waze app suddenly started working, and I’m having great fun with it. Thanks for the recommendation!
What a great shot.
It almost looks like a bat with a winter coat and strange wings. It certainly doesn’t look like a moth (or even a butterfly).
Even……..Adrian’s suggestion fits it too.
You have quite an imagination with resemblance to a bat, but I can sure agree with the winter coat. And, yes, I’d love to have had something like this for a fluffy toy as a kid!
What a wonderful, delightful, and unusual shot! When I first saw the upper part of the image, I thought it was going to be a cute furry mammal of some kind, and then when the wings appeared I was amazed! What a cute and characterful moth. I agree with Adrian that it looks like a cuddly goblin or gremlin or a child’s soft toy. I’ve learned about a moth I’ve never been aware of previously :-)
There are a number of wonderful moths around here, but this is, I think, only the third time I’ve seen one of these. The characteristic blue eyes on the underwings are usually well hidden, so I was doubly lucky to get it from this angle and with this illumination.
How incredible! It looks like a crazy teddy bear with wings!
A flying teddy bear–so much nicer than flying monkeys!
lol..definitely!
That’s quite a shot, Gary. Very nice.
Just had to seize the moment!
And you did it well. :)
This is rather hilarious. Love it.
Thanks very much, Mark. How nice to hear from you again!
Last week of teaching before the summer holidays – might actually have some time to be more ‘social’ on social media and blogs now :)