Yesterday a dear friend let me know that we’re in the middle of National Moth Week (July 17-25, 2021). I had no idea such a thing existed! But now, with that in mind, I present the Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth (Speranza pustularia). Like many moths, this one is nocturnal and is attracted to porch lights. Their favorite host plant is Red Maple but will settle for other Maple trees, and many others trees like Birch, Poplar, Fir, and Hemlock. After mating females lay their eggs on host tree branches in the fall. Surprisingly those eggs survive through the winter, hatching in late spring or early summer. The caterpillar pupates, or creates a cocoon and takes about ten days to emerge as a moth, at the end of summer. And then the whole process begins again.