These moths are the earliest lepidoptera – moths and butterflies – that we see at the farm. They spend the winter as pupas, and hatch as soon as it starts to warm up in the spring. I found one flying last week, when the temperature was only 37 degrees. Their larvae eat many of the trees we have on our property: birch, alder, poplar and willow.

The undersides of their wings are orange, with some brown spots and lines – I think it’s what makes them look so orange when they fly. It’s difficult to see the undersides, because most of the time they are either flying or sipping water from muddy puddles in the driveway. This is the only photo of them that I’ve ever gotten.