CLOSED: Can anyone ID this moth?

Hi,
This moth flew into our house a couple of nights ago. I decided to take some pictures before, very carefully, capturing it to take it back outside.

I brightened the pics a little to try and show the markings better. I forgot to measure it, but based on memory I think it was about 2" wide from wing-tip to wing-tip (+ or -). It's size is one of the things that interested me since most moths that fly into our house are smaller.

Any info would be appreciated. You guys are always so knowledgeable and I Thank You in advance.

Oops...I realized that the indoor lighting was kind of yellowing, so I removed some of the yellow in one of the pics and re-posted it. It may not make a difference, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

I went through the image gallery at
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery
and the closest match I could come up with is
Zale aeruginosa

They don't have any images of Zale aeruginosa in the Bugfiles here in Dave's Garden yet. And the source I went to didn't have much information on it, either.

Edit - added link which may or may not work:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery?stage=adult&species_view=dorsal&species_type=1&family=All&field_sciname_value=Zale&field_comname_value=

This message was edited Aug 5, 2013 6:42 PM

Thanks pollengarden! I really appreciate all the time it must have taken you to search all those images. It's definitely a possibility.

It must not be all that common of a Moth cause you're the first person to even respond in a week. It's the first Moth I can remember of that size flying into the house. Usually they're much smaller.

Just this morning I posted these pics again, but in the Hummingbird and Butterfly forum. I thought maybe this hadn't been the best place to ask about Moths because usually when I've asked for Insect ID's the answers have come almost immediately.

Thanks again!

I saw it in the Butterfly forum, I came back to this one to see if you had gotten an answer. This forum would be the correct one to use, I think. I usually wait a few days before I attempt an ID - I have been corrected and shot down in flames to many times.
As for the research involved - I work at a Library, so assist with research for a living. When things are slow at work, I do other sorts of research for fun.

I'm very doubtful this could be Zale aeruginosa - see images at http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8694
I'm not even certain that it is a Zale sp.; there also are some geometrids that can have a similar appearance.

Thanks Flapdoodle!
Those pics are really interesting. They remind me of "Stealth Fighters". I don't think "my" Moth looked as much like a Stealth Fighter (I know, it's a weird analogy, but based on the shape, that's what came to mind).

I always appreciate your help. In your opinion, is this an unusual Moth, or are moths just not studied as much as other insects?

pollengarden, What a cool place to work, especially if you love to research. I can't tell you how much time I spend researching various things for the fun of it. Like you, I really do enjoy it.

But I guess I'm not too good at researching insects, cause I seem to spend a lot of time in this forum asking questions!

nutsaboutnature, your moth is not at all unusual; its just that the combination of the lighting used and the moth's pose make direct comparisons with other images problematic. That and the fact that there is a good deal of variability in the color pattern within many species. And I would guess that with the possible exception of certain groups, moths likely are as well-studied as most other insects.

Fascinating! Thank You for the all the info.

Now I wish I had gotten better pictures with better lighting before taking our "house guest" back outside. Definitely something I'll try to be more aware of in the future.

I use IrfanView a free program to crop and improve some of my images. http://www.irfanview.com/
Here's a quick example.

cant find mine, but hey? http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/adsense/cse?cx=partner-pub-0985771249692230%3A0885295448&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&as_q=moths&sa=Search&siteurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.butterfliesandmoths.org%2Fgallery%3Fstage%3Dadult%26species_view%3Ddorsal%26species_type%3DAll%26family%3D891%26field_sciname_value%3D%26field_comname_value%3D

Thank You shorthog!! I'll check into it. It does look better.

Thanks kittriana!! I appreciate the help.

The moth ID was a bit of challenge. They are so plain at first glance and so intricate when you take a close look. Then like a kaleidoscope, the pattern changes depending on how they are holding their wings.

You're so right about the patterns, pollengarden. I never realized until I photographed this moth just how intricate the patterns can be. Normally with a quick glance they mostly just look dark (to me, anyway).

It comes to show, moths are beautiful, intricate some time, other time big, bold and beautiful. A beauty often being over looked.

So true and generally only noticed when they "park" on the outside of my kitchen window at night or follow one of us into the light of the house.

Here goes, I found a similar moth early this morning.

Please start a new thread, and try to get a closer and clearer image. Thanks.

I apologize, that's the best I could do with the picture. And the moth didn't hang around for another photo session. It is shown roosting under a Penta's leave early in the morning, and with a little disturbance, it took off and I haven't seen it again since.

Since my pictures aren't quite good enough for a definitive ID, I've decided to close this thread. If I ever see a similar Moth, I'll try to get better pics.

Thank You all so Very Much for all of your help!! Believe it or not, even without anything definitive, I've really learned a lot about moths from all of you and I really appreciate it.