Ascalapha odorata
In case you are wondering, that is not a mini hand. This moths’ wingspan was of about 18 cm (7 in).
With butterflies and moths, it is pretty easy to tell if it is a male or a female. In this species, the female has a white stripe going from one wing to the other, and the colors are a little more contrasting. The one in the picture is a male.
They inhabit all of South and Central America, and apparently they also migrate to Texas and Florida, as well. I think that makes them the largest insect north of Mexico.
Its common name is black witch, or sorcière noire, or mariposa de la muerte. It is interesting that so many different cultures have such similar myths about this moth. All over America, it is believed that they are a sign that something bad is going to happen. If it goes inside your home, for example, it means someone is going to die. Or if it lands on you, all your hair is going to fall off!
I don’t know why this moth has such a bad fame. All it does is look for a nice warm resting spot inside your house, and then it just sits there for a while and doesn’t bother anyone.
I prefer the Hawaian myth. They say over there that when someone you love dies, they come back to your house in the shape of a moth, to look after you.
As to the name, I prefer the mayan one, “mah-ha-nah”, which means “may I borrow your home?”. That is really all they want.
Ascalapha odorata by The Bug Lady, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Tags: black witch, entomology, Insect, moth, Photographs
