Royal Walnut Moth

This royal walnut moth was in my garden early one morning. I've never seen this kind of flying flower on my blooms before. Was this a rare sighting?

—Paul Wolf, Hanover, Pennsylvania

Tom: The royal walnut is also known as the hickory horned devil because of the long horns on the caterpillar. This flier belongs to the same family as other large moths such as the luna and cecropia. This moth is fairly common in your area, especially where hickory and black walnut trees are found. However, it's not a flier that visits flowers. These moths do not have mouths for feeding, so you're not likely to see it on a bloom.