Coffee-loving pyrausta moth (Pyrausta tyralis)
This red and gold crambid moth has some individual variation to its gold-stripes-on-red pattern, but I find most of them look a lot like a smiling jack-o-lantern!
You can probably guess by the common name, coffee-loving pyrausta moth, what the larvae of this moth enjoy eating most — wild coffee, Psychotria nervosa.
Pyrausta tyralis lives in the southeastern United States, and in the southern US west to Arizona. It has a neat little yellow green caterpillar with black spots.
These two shots are of two individuals, and were taken almost two months apart!
Coffee-loving pyrausta moth (Pyrausta tyralis)
Coffee-loving pyrausta moth (Pyrausta tyralis)
This is a third individual, in case that’s not obvious. Love these happy little pumpkin face moths!