In the Pink

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After a sweaty morning of gardening–tweaking in one area, planting in another, I was wrapping up the work by stowing shears and shovels.  As I bumbled down the pathway, a single deep pink spot on one  petal of a Rock rose, Pavonia lasiopetala, caught my eye.  It was no heat related mirage that I spied, but a resting Pink moth, Pyrausta inornatalis.

The pink winged thing wasn’t nectaring, flying, or laying eggs. It perched–very still and very pink–on the topside of the petal, its deeper hue augmenting the floral pad on which it rested.  As I maneuvered for a photo, the moth attempted concealment.  I found it on the flip side of the petal, readjusted my position, took one quick shot, and left it to its day.

I spent the morning focusing on a big picture project in one part of the garden, but it was a gentler, quieter scene which made my morning in the garden worthwhile.

I’m pleased to join again with Anna and her Wednesday Vignette.   Check out her blog, Flutter and Hum, for musings of various sorts.

10 thoughts on “In the Pink”

  4. I’ve never seen one of these, although I have seen a photo or two. Lucky you, and what a good eye to spot it. These little ones often seem to have extraordinary color. I must say, despite my previous comments about the rock rose, I love this photo. Do you suppose the moth was attempting to camouflage itself?

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    • I see these little guys-n-gals frequently and on a variety of my native plants. They seem to favor the various salvia that I grow, but often, they’re just hanging around, like this one was.

      I think the main reason I noticed it is that it was along a pathway in my back garden and because of the shady nature of my back garden, the pavonia bloom less than in full sun. There are usually just a few blooms each day, so noticing something odd about one particular bloom is relatively easy.

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