White-lined Black

One of the best places to making observations, besides on my daily treks, is to just walk out the kitchen door and, at night, look at what the porch lights have brought into viewing range. Moths of every shape and size are the main players in this short journey of discovery, and if I'm especially blessed on a given evening, I'll spot one of the big and showy silk moths or one of the equally eye-catching underwings. However, this moth, known appropriately as a White-striped Black, was quite small, with a wingspan of maybe the diameter of a quartet, but it was equally impossible to overlook. The wonderfully striking Trichodezia albovittata is, according to Peterson, both widespread and common, but I'd never seen it before. The moth is also easy to identify, to say nothing of, to this fancier of black and white photography, appealing. [A note to viewers: sorry about the fuzziness... I seem to be having trouble with my 55-200mm telephoto lens.]