Found a neat moth, anyone know what type it is?

[Togath]

So I has my window open last night, and woke up to this guy camping out on it;
http://i.imgur.com/dDyOQXu.jpg\
Anyone have an idea what kind they are?

[Trekkin]

Hypagyrtis esther, maybe? It has the kind of scalloped wings and similar coloration, at any rate.

[Togath]

Looking it up, it looks like about the right wing shape, but the color and locations seem to be off(I'm in Western Washington, and the moth's green, not brown).

[Trekkin]

Looking it up, it looks like about the right wing shape, but the color and locations seem to be off(I'm in Western Washington, and the moth's green, not brown).

It's green? I guess the color balance on my monitor is weird, then.

If you're in Washington state, it's probably an emerald moth, one of the Geometrinae.

[Palanan]

Looking in my Peterson Field Guide to Moths, this looks like it could be either the red-bordered emerald (Nemoria lixaria) or the red-fringed emerald (N. bistriaria). My field guide is focused on the northeastern U.S., so N. lixaria isn’t likely, but N. bistriaria seems to reach your latitude.

The species page (http://bugguide.net/node/view/631327) on BugGuide seems to suggest the latter, although the fringing pattern is much more dramatic on your moth. The photo (http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=7046) on the MPG website looks much closer to yours, but the range doesn't seem to reach your part of the country. Definitely Nemoria, possibly a northwestern species not covered in my book.

I know a moth specialist who could take a look, but he’s based in Alabama, so he might not be too familiar with the species in your region. You could try posting to BugGuide, or (better yet) find a local moth group. They’d know your species better than anyone.

.

[Eldan]

I don't know too much about moths, but in many insect groups, colouration is not entirely a reliable indicator. Patterns and shapes are usually mostly consistent, but colour variants can be quite dramatic and colour can wash out with age.

[Togath]

Hmm... green to brown though seems sort of extreme.
May have found it!
"Hemithea aestivaria"/"Common Emerald". Has the right look and one source I found (https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hemithea-aestivaria) cites it as being local to the part of Washington I live in.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Togath
May have found it!
"Hemithea aestivaria"/"Common Emerald". Has the right look and one source I found cites it as being local to the part of Washington I live in.

It does appear similar, but take a look at the range map—all tightly clustered on the Seattle/Vancouver region, which is a little unusual for a moth. Note also that H. aestivaria is an introduced species, so it may be a Eurasian doppelganger rather than the actual moth you have.

I’d still say the best thing to do is find a local moth group. They’ll be familiar with introduced species, and they’ll be able to distinguish between Hemithea and Nemoria.

You might also check the biology departments in some local universities, and see if there are any entomologists willing to take a look. One more option is to see if any of your state universities have extension programs who can identify insects. And you can also see if there's a natural history museum with insect collections. I'd try a moth group and university entomologists first, then pursue the other options if necessary.

[Leecros]

It does appear similar, but take a look at the range map—all tightly clustered on the Seattle/Vancouver region, which is a little unusual for a moth. Note also that H. aestivaria is an introduced species, so it may be a Eurasian doppelganger rather than the actual moth you have.

The Common Emerald (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_emerald) was Introduced into Southern British Colombia from Great Britain in 1979. Not really a super long time ago for it to have a massive range.