Strange Moth Resembles Bird Dropping

Here is an interesting moth I found in my yard- a beautiful wood nymph Eudryas grata, a noctuid. This species occurs from Nova Scotia to FL.

The peculiar colors are believed to mimic bird droppings and thus escape the detection of bird predators. It is also good disruption camouflage.

But the orange flash colors displayed when the moth is disturbed may either advertise toxicity or mimic the similar warning colors of some tiger moths, such as the salt marsh moth.