However, today I *did* see another one (just one), but I didn't realize what it was at first. Not at all. I have NEVER seen one like this before. I wasn't even sure what it was. It looked like a wisp of dry grass stuck to the outer wall of the building, but its perfectly symmetrical T-shape caught my eye. When I looked closer, I saw legs and antennae, but... what on earth?
It looked sort of like a tiny airplane.
I ran inside and googled "white insect T-shaped." Right away, many photos of this unusual creature showed up. It turns out to be a plume moth. Yes, a moth!
I don't have my camera with me today, so I have to borrow other people's photos for this. This is what the creature looked like, only I didn't see the legs at first, just the white T, probably about as wide as a dime.
Insectidentification.org says of it:
"The tiny, T-shaped Plume Moth is easy to recognize once you see it. There aren't many moths like it." [No kidding!]
"Their thin body and T shape make the Plume Moth unique. Their wings have the appearance of a bird's plume (feathers) and when at rest, the moth rolls both wings into a rod shape." [What! Emphasis mine] "The result is an unusual profile for a moth." [I'll say.] "When perched, they resemble a vintage propeller airplane.... Larvae roll leaves and then eat them." [Ha, a lot of rolling going on here!]
Here is a photo which I believe shows what the wings look like when they're unrolled or unfurled:
[Does anyone know what a moth-ologist would be called? I think I'm turning into one!]
I am going to end by posting this photo I found while searching for photos of plume moths. I really just have no words for this—the sheer cleverness of it..... unbelievable.
There is a long Psalm that says, "Praise Him, ye snows and rains... Praise Him, this and that..." but I don't recall moths ever being mentioned in that Psalm.
I sincerely wonder why not.
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