Searching for moths


Vinod and I have a habit of photographing moths whenever we come across them, and we’ve seen some fascinating ones, like the Lunar moth, Owl moth, and Monkey moth, during our travels to places like Parambikulam, KMTR, and other unique forest areas. On a recent trip to Northeast India, Vinod would wake up at night to check for moths on the walls, and we were amazed by how many we spotted. Despite this, we’ve never made a special effort to attract moths, such as using moth screens or placing rotten fruit.

tisis micro moth
Micro moths such as the one shown above belong to the Tisis genus. They are tiny moths hardly the size of a finger nail. On a closer look they have very intricate designs on them.

After recently meeting moth expert Mr. S. Thalavaipandi, we had the chance to dive deeper into the world of moths. Our first attempt at setting up a moth screen was in Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary, but since we hung the screen near the forest quarters where there was light pollution, we only attracted a few micro moths and some others. During National Moth Week, we set up a moth screen at home, but unfortunately, the giant lizards on the walls kept the moths away. We also visited Kalikesam eco camp for moth watching, though the results were underwhelming. Our next venture was in Sirumalai, where we teamed up with Mr. Thalavaipandi, Mr. Thanigaivel, and Mr. Rameshwaran. Thalavaipandi brought a small genset, allowing us to set up a moth screen anywhere in the forest.

moth watching setup
Everyone keenly watching the moths and trying to photograph them

SETTING UP A MOTH SCREEN

On the day we arrived at Sirumalai, we took a short walk and spotted a few moths resting on leaves. As evening approached, it began to drizzle, but we headed into the forest, carrying our dinner and moth-screening equipment. The forest floor was crawling with leeches, and with the rain, setting up the moth screen proved to be a bit challenging. However, within seconds of setting it up, moths started flocking to the screen. The screen was placed on a slope, which made it a bit uncomfortable to watch the moths, but Thalavaipandi and Vinod eagerly photographed all the moths that landed.  

moth collection
We cannot get this experience with any other insects. We were really thrilled to see the amazing varieties.

I had a severe headache, so I stayed in the van, quietly watching the scene unfold in front of me. After about an hour, as the moth activity picked up, I decided to climb the slope to take a closer look. The intricate patterns on each species were truly mesmerizing. When we finally called it a night and turned off the lights, the moths, especially the Monkey moths, started landing on our heads and hands. It was such a unique and wonderful experience.

monkey moths
Moths from the Eupterotidae family are incredibly soft to the touch. After we took down the moth screens, one large Eupterotidae moth flew around, trying to land on each of us, searching for warmth and light.

Vinod and Thalavaipandi were up early, checking for moths around our campsite and found a few. On the second day, the three of us went on a recon to find a better location for the moth screen, this time without any leeches. Since the rain had stopped, we were hopeful for more moths and found the perfect spot near a waterfall.

khandige private estate
I had never been to a river area at night before, so this was a great opportunity for nighttime exploration.

With the previous day’s experience in mind, we arrived at the spot earlier, setting up our gear at twilight. Thousands of bats flew above us as we enjoyed setting up the moth screen with the genset in the leech-free forest area. While walking around, Thanigaivel came across a small bamboo pit viper.

bamboo pit viper
Although I had seen many photographs of the Bamboo pit viper, seeing it up close was a completely different experience.

NIGHT EXPLORATION

As night fell, moths slowly began to arrive, and soon we lost track of what we had photographed. After observing many moths, we decided to take a break and walked over to the nearby waterfall. This was only the second time I’d seen a waterfall at night, the first being Jog Falls in Karnataka, which is a large tourist attraction. This one was smaller and more secluded, making it a fresh and enjoyable experience. We also spotted a centipede out for a stroll and kept an ear out for owls, though we didn’t hear any calls.

sccorpion
Seeing scorpion itself is a rarity nowadays, these creatures are active hunters at night.

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“We returned to find a swarm of hawk moths, including the striking Marumba dyras and Marumba nympha, gathered around our screen. Other notable moths we observed were Comostola laesaria, Idea species, Ourapteryx marginata, Pingasa ruginaria, and Yepcalphis dilectissima. We continued our moth watching until the generator ran out of fuel, forcing us to call it a night. As we were packing up, Thalavaipandi discovered a stunning green moth, an Agathia species, resting on a blade of grass. It was one of the most beautiful moths we had ever seen.”

agathia sp
Agathia sp was one of the colorful moths we had ever seen.

We spotted several more colorful moths near the campsite. Vinod and I had hoped to see an Atlas Moth, but we were thrilled with our experience, having observed over 200 moths in just two nights. This was one of the best wildlife trips we’ve ever taken, with an amazing and like-minded group.