Everything’s Bigger in South America

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January 23, 2009

Why do you think so many of us are married to Chileans? :P

HA. I kid.

A long time ago I went on a trip to Costa Rica. I could not believe how huge the bugs were. I was bit by mosquitos as big as bottle tops and ants the size of my hand. Large insects are a decidedly tropical phenomenon and which Chile is not, so when I moved here, I was pretty happy that I wouldn’t leave the country with stories of massive cockroaches crawling across my butt while I used the toilet, like my mom in Colombia.

Last night, I heard fluttering of wings and a loud buzzing noise. Thinking it was a bat, I opened my windows, got a broom and prepared to chase it back out into the night sky where it belonged. However, when the frantic flying stopped and the thing settled down on my wall next to the bedroom light, I realized that what I thought was a bat was really the most gigantic moth (or something in the moth family) I had ever seen. I mean, maybe it was a bat crossed with a moth, I don’t know. But it was HUGE and insect-y. I didn’t know what to do so I just left it chilling on my light. And then took pictures.

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Eventually it came down, Papito killed it and swatted it under the refrigerator where it’s dead body remains until I can get S. to get it out from there.

While I’m not squeamish when it comes to bugs, I have to say that something that massive truly grossed me out. Have any of you ever seen a moth that big or was this thing on steroids?

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11 Comments

  1. BIG mother.

    I used to see ones like these up north but white colored.

    Comment by EvilJoy — January 23, 2009 @ 10:41 am

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  2. Joy. Holy crap/EW!

    Comment by Mamacita Chilena — January 23, 2009 @ 10:42 am

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  3. I once found one in Iowa that was bigger than my hand. It is called a cecropia moth. They are in the adult (moth) form for only a few weeks. In these few weeks their goal is to mate and then die afterwards. They also don’t eat during this stage because they don’t have a mouth. They look more like a butterfly, just really hairy with muted colors. And their legs have orange hairs and look like spider legs. I let it crawl on my hand for a while, but set it down when it reminded me too much of a tarantula. Creepy. They are really beautiful though.
    Nicole

    Comment by nicole — January 23, 2009 @ 11:41 am

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  4. Hi Kyle

    Hope you had a great year and also that 2009 will be even better for you.

    About the moth… I’ve seen a couple of those “jumbo-sized” ones in my place too. I was amazed… one of them was bigger than my hand. I actually noticed it ’cause I thought one of my neighbours was knocking at my door, mind you.

    Take care

    Comment by Gus — January 23, 2009 @ 12:36 pm

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  5. pretty picture

    Comment by cavils in chile — January 23, 2009 @ 5:54 pm

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  6. I had that same moth or it’s cousin in my apartment the other day! It was in the middle of the day and I was so freaked out by the size and ugliness that I called my best friend, who happened to be in my neighborhood, to come to my house and remove it.

    I hate moths. Especially the gigantic ones.

    Comment by Renée — January 24, 2009 @ 6:41 am

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  7. yapo, pero cómo te fue con la niña de the travel channel? a dónde fueron al final?

    Comment by Maeskizzle — January 24, 2009 @ 12:18 pm

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  8. Gross.

    I hate all bugs.

    Comment by That girl — January 24, 2009 @ 7:54 pm

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  9. Eso es una polilla, no hace nada, pero sus larvas comen ropa hecha 100% de fibras naturales…

    Hay chicas y grandes, pero las grandes sólo aparecen mucho cuando alguien se le ocurre ahuyentar a los murcielagos (los murcielagos comen insectos, sobretodo las polillas grandes)… sin murcielagos, las polillas grandes invaden…

    En 1997 aparecieron un par de murcielagos con rabia (“rabies” creo que le dicen ustedes), la TV armó un escándalo, y mucha gente termino ahuyentando los murcielagos a traves de exterminadores… al año siguiente había millones de polillas por toda la ciudad, enormes…

    Comment by Anonymous — January 26, 2009 @ 5:38 pm

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  10. The moths here are huge too. I hate it when they fly in.

    When in Jamaica we saw these massive (as big as the palm of my hand) beetle like bugs with huge pincher like thingys in the front. It was the scariest thing I’ve seen. It made even my husband squeamish.

    Comment by Lori - Blondie in Brazil — January 27, 2009 @ 4:19 am

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  11. Where I was in India had some pretty big moths/butterflies…
    http://ususbaby.com/blog/2008/01/22/massive-meghalaya-moths/

    I have to admit, they lost some of their beauty once they exceeded the size of my palm…

    Jayna

    Comment by Anonymous — January 28, 2009 @ 12:06 am

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