Phasmid

"Bird poop"is what I thought as I went to move a chair on the deck...but I took a closer look ...

Not a rare moth but the first time I've ever seen one, that I"m aware of, for it's such a clever disguise that I could have overlooked many over the years. It's Wood Nymph moth, or Pearly Wood Nymph (thanks to Bug Guide). The little woolly legs were quite endearing, like little mothy legwarmers. What amazing camouflage!

There's a lesson here, perhaps, all too often human stuff actually is poop, disguised as something pretty.

I amazes me that most moths and many butterflies are fine with being examined, if I move slowly, they are quite content. Fortunately I don't have any desire to examine bees, or wasps, or spiders...