It was early in June a number of years ago, when both boys were still living at home. I was in the house while everyone else was doing something in the yard. I heard the steady clip-clip-clip of Nick trimming the juniper bush when suddenly it stopped and Seth came tearing into the house.

"Dad, get your camera and come out! The most humongous butterfly is in the bush."

There it was, hanging underneath a twig of the juniper, exposed to the world by Nick's efforts: a Cecropia in all its amazing color and ornamentation. Unfortunately, it was too dark already to take a shot of the whole moth with the telephoto lens. Instead, here are some pictures with the close-up rings (which require a whole lot less light, but have a very limited focus area).

This is the largest of all the lepidoptera in this country (and certainly also one of the most beautiful). Amazingly, these moths have no mouthparts!