Virginia Ctenucha

Close portrait of a Virginia Ctenucha with long comb-like antennae, an orange collar, a metallic-blue thorax, and raised dark wings.

Feathered Antennae
Side view of a Virginia Ctenucha spreading its broad dark wings among rain-damp grass, with its orange collar and metallic-blue thorax visible.

Wings Across the Grass
Virginia Ctenucha clinging upright to a grass stem with its metallic-blue abdomen exposed and long comb-like antennae extended.

Upright in the Grass
Frontal view of a Virginia Ctenucha lifting its dark wings among wet grass and revealing its orange collar and metallic-blue markings.

A Flash Beneath the Wings

Ctenucha virginica

For identification details and comparison with similar species, see the Ctenucha virginica page in the Field Notes section. For photographic observations and visual context from this rain-damp meadow encounter, see Photographic Sequence in the Field Notes section.

Feathered Antennae

Virginia Ctenucha close portrait

Feathered Antennae
Comb-like antennae rise above an orange collar and metallic-blue thorax as the dark wings open behind them.
E21A1661 • Size: 1300 x 867

The Virginia Ctenucha is already striking in profile, but this close view brings its most intricate feature forward. The finely branched antennae rise above the head, while the orange collar and blue scales glow against the nearly black wings. A clean foreground lets the moth hold the frame without losing its setting among the grass.

Wings Across the Grass

Virginia Ctenucha spreading its wings in wet grass

Wings Across the Grass
Broad, pale-edged wings sweep through the wet vegetation as orange and cobalt markings emerge beneath them.
E21A1656 • Size: 1800 x 1200

Seen from the side, the raised wings create a long, graceful silhouette across the surrounding leaves. This wider view balances the moth's saturated color with the cool greens of the rain-damp meadow and preserves the sense of discovering it low within the vegetation.

Virginia Ctenucha clinging upright to a grass stem

Upright in the Grass
Clinging to a slender stem, the moth exposes a metallic-blue abdomen beneath raised wings and reaching antennae.
E21A1664 • Size: 2000 x 1333

Virginia Ctenucha lifting its wings in wet grass

A Flash Beneath the Wings
A frontal wing lift briefly reveals the vivid blue and orange hidden within the moth's darker resting silhouette.
E21A1660 • Size: 5300 x 3533