Artful camouflage

Find the moth! It's right there, in the exact center of the photo. In a recent foray in southern Ohio, we flushed a decent-sized brownish moth, and I tracked its course. When it lit on the bark of a nearby tree, it was rendered nearly invisible.

This is major camo. The moth in question is one of the myriad Geometrid moths; this particular one is called the Tulip Tree Beauty, Epimecis hortaria. They are bark mimics, and obviously blend well with woody substrates.

A closer look. The photo is sharp; clear as a bell and frame-filling. Nevertheless, the moth is still hard to differentiate from the bark.

Ohio has an estimated 2,500 species of moths, and that's enough to provide a real challenge for those wanting to learn a new group. Most are nocturnal and obscure, but often beautiful and interesting upon inspection.