Even though this is a very common millipede in our garden I was not able to identify scientifically. This resembles morphologically the Apheloria genus found in America, but I doubt it belongs to that. They do not bite humans. Generally found in leaf litter , millipedes tend to avoid light and may discharge a foul … Read more
I just saw this Black and Yellow Mud Dauber building nest on one of the granite pillars at my courtyard. As the reflection of twin lights on the round body of the insect was quite harsh, I wanted to try new diffuser on my Canon MT-24EX macro twin light flash. I usually have Gary Fong … Read more
These mating Amata cyssea moths commonly known as Handmaiden moths that are day-flying members of the Arctiidae or Tiger moth family and Subfamily Syntominae. They mimic wasps in their body and coloration. Even for a predator who does not get deterred by wasps, the occasional bright body colors usually advertise a bad taste, so Handmaidens … Read more
This curious looking caterpillar was found inside Kadri Park in Mangalore when I went for a stroll on Sunday afternoon. Light was terribly bright and I had no flash with me nor any method to shade. This moth caterpillar belongs to family Geometridae. Most probably caterpillar of Dysphania militaris moth. It is called Inch Worm … Read more
Daphnis nerii or Oleander Hawk-moth is a member of the Sphingidae family, whose members are commonly known as the hummingbird, sphinx or hawk moths. This beautiful and attractive species has a wingspan of 8-12 cm. Its forewings are intricately patterned in gorgeous shades of olive green and marked with small blotches of pink and white, including a pale white apical band on each forewing. The hindwings, on the other hand, are greyish green, with a pale white wavy line. Body is mostly olive green too, with white markings and measures about 5 cm from head to tail.
This Euproctis species caterpillar belong to Lymantriidae family was feeding on leaves on cucumber tree (Averrhoea bilimbi).Lymantriidae is a family of moths with about 350 known genera and over 2,500 known species found all over the world, in every continent except Antarctica. They are particularly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, India, Southeast Asia and South America; … Read more