Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth
Itame pustularia
July 8, 2003
I could have added this moth several weeks ago but it has now become the most abundant moth in the yard.
And abundant is the word!  Hundreds gather on the sheet and below the deck.  When you step onto the deck above, they take flight like snowflakes in an updraft and every breeze that stirs the surrounding trees sends a flurry of them into the air.

I tried to take a picture to give a sense of their numbers, but it's difficult to do.  At left is my best attempt.