
photo: Kristi

photo: Kristi

photo: xyloryctinemothsofaustralia
Habitat: Australia
Status: Not Listed
And the award for the happiest moth on the planet goes to… Cryptophasa albacosta! Might have a hard time announcing that name at the awards ceremony, though. Let’s just call him Crypto for short. That’s got a nice little hip/hop ring to it. I mean really, anything is better than 2 Chainz.
The pattern on this moth which seems to form into a very happy, grinning face, is simply by chance. The patterns differ slightly from moth to moth, so that’s why this one must be unbelievably happy to have received such an impression.
These moths are small fruit tree borers, meaning that their larva will drill a hole into one of the several types of plants it feeds on (like Macadamia, peach, and apricot) and thenĀ tie cut small branchlets to the entrance in order to keep any intruders out.
Intruders = ^_^ –> -_-
That’s the exact mathematical equation, by the way.