Hornet Moth

Several years ago I saw a moth very similar to this one, here in Southern California, in my back yard, on an almond tree I'd recently planted. The moth was a dead ringer for a paper wasp, so I was leery of it, but then I noticed it wasn't moving. So I stepped in closer, and really examined it while it sat motionless on a leaf. Its body was fuzzed, and the antenna were feathered. The wings and head also weren't "quite" right for a wasp. That's when I realized it was a moth. A really incredible mimicry though, so good I couldn't imagine anything messing with it. Wish I'd gotten a picture...

I've only ever seen this moth once. It certainly could pass for a hornet...great mimicry! The larvae is a wood borer feeding on the roots and within the trunks of Poplars.