Waiting for the school bus is usually boring, but in the rains, we have really begun looking forward to it, and even get ready early, just to see what we can see! Over the last few years, we have really developed a fascination for snails, so much so that samhith spots them wherever we go! But then, the monsoon brings us so many surprises, and there was another one for us a few days back.......
As we stepped out into our compound, we noticed this moth on the sewer cover - definitely a place we avoid... But this one was so interesting, we went to take a closer look......and many many pictures too....
It took me a while to identify this one, but Wikipedia informs me that this one is an "Oleander Hawk Moth", a migratory moth found in Asia and Africa, which flies off to Europe during the summer! And its caterpillar feeds solely on the leaves of the Oleander tree (the 'Arali' in tamil), which are highly toxic, but interestingly, these caterpillars are immune to its toxicity! Imagine seeing such an interesting insect in our backyard!
