If Butterflies are the Cinderellas of the Garden

Then moths must be the ugly stepsisters.

Butterflies start out as caterpillars, and sometimes they resemble Cinderella before her fairy godmother transformed her into a princess for the ball.  As, for example, this fellow:

This homely little fellow (or gal) appears at the ball in a few weeks dressed to the nines:

Consider the lowly moth.  Drawn to a candle flame, where it self immolates.  Destroyer of woolen sweaters unprotected by moth balls.  Moths don't have a very good press, do they?

Imagine my delight at stumbling on this little creature (maybe 7/8ths of a inch if it has just taken a deep breath) who appeared one day recently on a blue salvia plant:

So obliging, that he actually waited until I could run into the house, grab the camera, and snap on the macro lens, to allow two more pictures:

With the help of the internet (and a moth expert) I was able to identify the visitor as Pyrausta inornatalis, a species that favors--salvia!

This ugly stepsister does not have to hang her head in shame alongside Cinderella.