Black and white bug?

Question

i was sitting outside and this bug ive never seen in my life came up too me it was kind of furry black spots all white had wings of a moth and a body of a catapillar? it was really creepy..and really long spider like legs..can anyone tell me or show me links to a picture of what this might be?

thanks

Answer 1

If you live in Southern CA, it was a Laurel Borer, a type of beetle.  I saw three of them on the side of a building in Pasadena, CA today!  I searched the internet for answers and apparently they are attracted to fresh paint, and sure enough there were some painters nearby touching up a store in the outdoor mall.  My six year old daughter wanted to alert the authorities, it creeped her out that much!

Answer 2

Hmm, it would help if you told me where you saw this bug, in terms of area. But you may have seen a moth indeed. There are actually a couple of species that resemble that. The one I'm thinking isthe Acraea moth, which is about 2 inches long and has a really furry white thorax (that's the middle section between the body and head). The legs aren't that long, though... It could also be a Hebrew moth, but they aren't as big or as furry. My guess is the first.

Oops, I forgot, here's a couple of pictures:  http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/37853/60d...

http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/but...