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UNK 4

What appears to be a flexible 12" stick with multiple wings

that can fly. Sure would like to know if anyone else has

seen one of these or has a clue what it might be. I estimate

its size to be about 1 ft (30 cm) long. This is an infrared

image. The (?) is warmer than its surroundings. This is a

frame capture from a 15 second Bushnell Trophy Camera video. .

 

Explanation:

It's a moth/butterfly/bug. Because of the way video capture works, you

may get several different images of the same bug in a single frame. It's

basically what would have been called a double exposure in 'olden days'.

 

"...these rods appear in film because of an optical illusion/collusion

(especially in interlaced video

recording), and are typically traces of a flying insect's wingbeats."

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_(optics)

Contributed by Laura Hicks

 

"A sphinx moth. Once your camera activates, its frame-capture

rate is just a trifle faster than the moth's flight speed. When the moth

flies in a straight line, the image captures appear to be joined together

into a really odd looking creature. You'll notice that when the moth's

direction is erratic, the effect is not there."

Contributed by Mike Pingleton

 

According to wikipedia:

The Sphingidae are a family of moths (Lepidoptera), commonly known

as hawk moths, sphinx moths, and hornworms; it includes about 1,450

species.[1] It is best represented in the tropics, but species are found

in every region.[2] They are moderate to large in size and are

distinguished among moths for their rapid, sustained flying ability.[2]

Their narrow wings and streamlined abdomens are adaptations for rapid

flight

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Uploaded on November 25, 2013
Taken on November 25, 2013