You would not likely give this moth a second (or even first) look.

In fact, you might not even know it exists. The brown-hooded owlet is a brown and very nondescript moth, a plain Jane even among moths. For those of us who pay the normal amount of attention to our surroundings, this creature might not even register in our consciousness as a fellow inhabitant of the Island –– it is that ordinary. A nonentity for non-entomologists.

There were two gentlemen who did notice it, however.

Coleman Townsend Robinson and Augustus Radcliffe Grote were 19th-century entomologists who based their careers on the study of the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. They are credited with the original observation and naming of this particular species but they couldn’t be said to only have eyes for owlets as their interest extended far beyond this particular group of moths.

Owlet moths are members of the family Noctuidae, the largest group of Lepidoptera. These nocturnal species are attracted to light so take a look at your porch light for them or their brethren.

They are probably insignificant-looking wallflowers even in that unimpressive assembly. Perhaps it is best to focus on another phase of this owlet’s lifecycle, one that includes a distinctively colorful creature that belies the lackluster reputation of the adult.

Like the ugly duckling or Cinderella in reverse, the youthful version of the owlet is the stage of life that garners

attention and would turn the heads of many a suitor.

The owlet moth caterpillar is a colorful vision. Yellow, orange, black and red create a showy palette on the youthful creature that is hard to miss. You can find these youths flaunting their instar power with their heads down, munching on favorite plants, which include asters and goldenrod – which might explain the yellow coloring at least. There can be two generations of owlet caterpillars in some areas, with the first eating the leaves of these plants and the second generation consuming the flowers.

The vibrant caterpillar stage inspires one of this insect’s aliases, calico paint moth. The blander adult stage is also called a brown-bordered owlet and brown-headed Cucullia. This second name refers to its scientific name, Cucullia convexipennis, which introduces a fresh mystery: no sources I’ve yet found could explain the latter part of the name. Robinson and Radcliffe created the nomenclature, had the last word on it and unfortunately left us no explanation for it.

The unremarkable brown hooded owlet’s lifecycle is itself remarkable, being typical of the metamorphosis of most butterflies and moths. The individual will spend the winter in a cocoon or pupa in the ground and will emerge as an adult moth in early summer.

And, as it then disappears into the night out of view and notice, this dull and common moth probably has earned the description Winston Churchill once bestowed on a fellow politician –– it is very modest: indeed, it has a lot to be modest about.

Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature.