What is this bug? Moth? Dragon Fly? Beneficial or non beneficial insect?

While hanging a wall pot, I noticed I had an apprentice in the making looking on. I'm not sure what type of insect this is and hesitantly guess it may be a dragon fly of some kind.

I'm already batting a thousand with my identification skills by mistaking an assassin bug for a praying mantis, lol, so please help me out if you can :)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• bugs
• insects
• moth
• dragon fly
• flying bugs
• beneficial
• nonbeneficial

[Poodleinacan]

You're kiding right?, you thought it was a praying mantis...

That's a moth.

A dragonfly would have a longer tail, and wouldn't stay that long...it would also have transparent wings.

[ArizonaAdventures]

@Poodleinacan Yeah, I was only kidding.

[krazy45cat]

Great Pot :)

[ArizonaAdventures]

@krazy45cat Thanks!

[grayv111]

You weren't supposed to see him/her, it was trying to camo into the stucco :)

It's a narrow winged grey moth... I do not think that they are beneficial to anything other than hungry birds, bats, and lizards. All caterpillars chew up plants and/or fruit. One of those may have been what dug into your tomato.

[ArizonaAdventures]

@grayv111 thanks for the quick ID! Now I'm going to have bad dreams about my newly forming grapes being munched on by these caterpillars :) Hopefully they bring in the lizards.

[Poodleinacan]

@ArizonaAdventures Haha, ok.

[DesertStateAgent]

not sure about the bug but I like that pot on the wall. Great colors

[swsebrownsugar1888]

might be a moth

[ArizonaAdventures]

@whatweshouldknow same here. I do have a few bird baths filled with water to attract these insects, however, insect ID is not a strong point for me yet.