It's always exciting when I get to see a new species! I got a lot of exercise following this beauty, and it only landed for a brief moment. It's not an ideal photo, but I'm thrilled anyway because it's a "lifer" (a species I've never seen before). Plus, it's a gratulata which is Latin for joy or gratitude, and that's certainly what I felt when I spotted it.
Meet the Mesoleuca gratulata, commonly known as the "Western White-ribboned Carpet Moth" or the "Half-white Carpet Moth". This western moth is also known as #7308. No, that's not a Borg species designation. The #7308 is the Hodges or MONA (Moths of North America) number. There are over 12,000 species of moths in North America, and they are listed in a numbering system that was introduced by Ronald Hodges in 1983. The system attempts to group the moths according to family, but parts of the list are outdated so it is constantly undergoing revision as new species and facts are uncovered.
And now to answer the questions I know you're all dying to ask:
1) Which moth is #1 on the Hodges list? The Epimartyria auricrinella (Goldcap Moss-eater Moth). With a name like that, it deserves the top spot.
2) What is the Borg designation for humans? Humans are species 5618 to the Borg. We're way down on the list, far below the Ferengi, Talaxians, Kazon, and Vulcans. To my fellow geeks and Star Trek nerds: you're welcome. 😎
Have a day filled with gratulata and try not to get assimilated.
Meet the Mesoleuca gratulata, commonly known as the "Western White-ribboned Carpet Moth" or the "Half-white Carpet Moth". This western moth is also known as #7308. No, that's not a Borg species designation. The #7308 is the Hodges or MONA (Moths of North America) number. There are over 12,000 species of moths in North America, and they are listed in a numbering system that was introduced by Ronald Hodges in 1983. The system attempts to group the moths according to family, but parts of the list are outdated so it is constantly undergoing revision as new species and facts are uncovered.
And now to answer the questions I know you're all dying to ask:
1) Which moth is #1 on the Hodges list? The Epimartyria auricrinella (Goldcap Moss-eater Moth). With a name like that, it deserves the top spot.
2) What is the Borg designation for humans? Humans are species 5618 to the Borg. We're way down on the list, far below the Ferengi, Talaxians, Kazon, and Vulcans. To my fellow geeks and Star Trek nerds: you're welcome. 😎
Have a day filled with gratulata and try not to get assimilated.
