"Insects in the cricket family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids or bush crickets."

Tettigoniids range in size from as small as 5 to as large as 130 mm. The smaller species typically live in drier or more stressful habitats which may lead to their small size. The small size is associated with greater agility, faster development, and lower nutritional needs. Tettigoniids are tree-living insects that are most commonly heard at night during summer and early fall. Tettigoniids may be distinguished from the grasshopper by the length of their filamentous antennae, which may exceed their own body length, while grasshoppers' antennae are always relatively short and thickened.

The scientific name "Tettigoniidae" is derived from the genus Tettigonia, first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1748. Latin tettigonia means leafhopper; it is from Greek tettigonion, the diminutive of the imitative (onomatopoeic) τέττιξ, tettix, cicada.

The common name "katydid" is also onomatopoeic.

Primarily nocturnal in habit, with strident mating calls, many katydids exhibit mimicry and camouflage, commonly with shapes and colors similar to leaves.

When tettigoniids go to rest during the day, they go into a diurnal roosting posture to maximize its cryptic qualities. This position fools predators into thinking the katydid is either dead or just a leaf on the plant. Various tettigoniids have bright coloration and black apical spot on the inner surface of the tegmina, and brightly colored hind wings. By flicking their wings open when disturbed they use the coloration to fool predators into thinking the spots are eyes. This in combination with their coloration mimicking leaves allows them to blend in with their surroundings, but also makes predators unsure which side is the front and which side is the back.

The diet of tettigoniids includes leaves, flowers, bark, and seeds, but many species are exclusively predatory, feeding on other insects, snails, or even small vertebrates such as snakes and lizards. Some are also considered pests by commercial crop growers and are sprayed to limit growth, but population densities are usually low, so a large economic impact is rare. By observing the head and mouthparts, where differences can be seen in relation to function, it is possible to determine what type of food the tettigoniids consume. Large tettigoniids can inflict a painful bite or pinch if handled, but seldom break the skin." - Wikipedia

Longbodied Cellar Spider (Pholcus phalangioides - pronounced as FOHL-kuss fuh-lan-gee-OY-deez) also known as Cellar Spider or Daddy Longlegs Spider.

I often come across the female spiders and normally shun taking photos of them as their legs are way too long for me to capture whole. Also, I know I'd seen the female because of the eggs apparently. The egg sac is usually blurry but this one was quite contrasty. My only unwarranted fear at that time was that my lighting (and not because it has the *most potent venom of all spiders) might not be able to lit the spider properly since it was hanging upside down.

"Taxonomic Hierarchy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Araneae

Family: Pholcidae

Genus: Pholcus

Species: Pholcus phalangioides

Author of species name: Johann C. Fuesslin. First year published: 1775, as Aranea phalangoides.

Pholcus can mean either “bandy-legged” or “squinty-eyed” in Greek, but the intended meaning in the case of this spider is uncertain, though it is assumed that Walckenaer meant for it to mean “squinty-eyed” (Cameron 2005). In Greek, phalangioides likely means “looks like a finger bone.”

This is a cosmopolitan species that can be found all over the world, but it is likely endemic (native) to Europe.

Both male and female have primary colours of White, Brown, Tan, and Gray.

Size:

Body length (excluding legs) of adult female ranges from 7-10 mm; adult males range from 6-10 mm.

Eyes:

Total of eight eyes. There’s a cluster of three eyes on each side, with two small eyes in between.

Legs:

Legs are very, very long and thin; delicate-looking. They are grayish-brown with bands of white and black at the joints. The front legs on an adult of this species can be up to 50 mm in length (sometimes more).  All legs are covered in hairs not visible to the naked eye. Tip of each leg has 3 claws (like most web-based spiders do).

Body:

Abdomen of both genders is cylindrical and elongated. Pregnant females will exhibit a more spherical abdomen. Abdomen color is an overall grayish-brown with occasional translucent areas and patches of dark gray and beige. Cephalothorax is beige with two dark gray markings in the center.

*There is a persistent rumor that this spider (or others in the same family) has the most potent venom of all spiders. However, there has never been a single shred of scientific evidence to back this up. It is merely one of the many spider myths that are floating around out there. One hypothesis is that it started because of observations that cellar spiders (family Pholcidae) are able to catch and eat black widows (genus Latrodectus). However, the cellar spider venom is really not very potent, even for insects." - www.spiders.us

Text and Information credit and for more detailed information, read here: http://www.spiders.us/species/pholcus-phalangioides/

Spiky Leaf Beetle (Dactylispa sp., subfamily Hispinae) has spiny and shiny sheen on its elytra.

Leaf Beetle (Family Chrysomelidae) belonging to a large and diverse family can grow up to 30mm with many sub-families that can be found in Singapore.

Leaf Beetles do not have antennae that are equal or longer than half the length of their bodies.

The non-venomous spines (up to 4mm) on the prothorax and elytra of these bugs shown in my photo offer them protection, making it hard for predators to swallow.

It was happily eating its supper after the rain.

Scientific classification for the Moth:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Lasiocampoidea
Family: Lasiocampidae
Harris, 1841

"The Lasiocampidae are a family of moths also known as eggars, snout moths, or lappet moths. Over 2000 species occur worldwide, and probably not all have been named or studied.

Their common name 'snout moths' comes from the unique protruding mouth parts of some species that resemble a large nose. They are called 'lappet moths' due to the decorative skin flaps found on the caterpillar's prolegs. The name 'eggars' comes from the neat egg-shaped cocoons of some species. The name is from the Greek lasio (wooly) and campa (caterpillar).

Caterpillars of this family are large in size and are most often hairy, especially on their sides. Most have skin flaps on their prolegs and a pair of dorsal glands on their abdomens. They feed on leaves of many different trees and shrubs, and often use these same plants to camouflage their cocoons. Some species are called tent caterpillars due to their habit of living together in nests spun of silk.

As adults, the moths in this family are large-bodied with broad wings and may still have the characteristic elongated mouth parts, or have reduced mouthparts and not feed as adults. They are either diurnal or nocturnal. Females lay a large number of eggs which are flat in appearance and either smooth or slightly pitted. In tent caterpillars, the eggs are deposited in masses and covered with a material that hardens in air. Females are generally larger and slower than the males, but the sexes otherwise resemble each other. Moths are typically brown or grey, with hairy legs and bodies." - Wikipedia

The white moustache looked more yellowish actually. It is funny how the female portia spider has a moustache when the male do not. Does this spider look like a crusty flake of bark? Its size is about that of a human thumbnail.

Portia Spiders have been nicknamed Porsche as well as Queen of Spiders. Portia Spider is also considered the veritable Einstein of the arthropod world, and rightfully so...

"The Cognitive Animal written by Stim Wilcox (Department of Biology, SUNY Binghamton) and Robert Jackson (Department of Zoology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand) expressed how tricky it is to discuss cognition in animals, with almost as many definitions of the term as people using them. Rather than trying to choose a single definition, they instead apply a framework designed to raise questions about six separate cognitive properties: reception (taking in information), attention (focusing on particular tasks), representation (maintaining a mental image or cognitive map), memory (retaining information), problem solving (deriving pathways to the achievement of goals), and communication language (influencing other individuals by manipulating symbols). They noted that "Portia strings together series of signals as she engages in aggressive mimicry, noting how this involves a complex, flexible and dynamic sequence of interactions between her and her target." Information credit: https://animalwise.org/2011/07/20/portia-queen-of-spiders/

See my other female portia here:
https://plus.google.com/100543882973615460981/posts/Lkn9BUndURA

See the male portia here:
https://plus.google.com/100543882973615460981/posts/9yPGNzTQR6r

"Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Salticidae
Subfamily: Spartaeinae
Genus: Portia
Karsch, 1878
Type species
Salticus fimbriatus
Doleschall, 1859
Diversity: 17 species

Portia is a genus of jumping spider that feeds on other spiders (araneophagic). They are remarkable for their intelligent hunting behaviour, which suggests that they are capable of learning and problem solving, traits normally attributed to much larger animals.

Portia exhibits a different mating behavior and strategy than other jumping spiders. In most jumping spiders, males mount females to mate. The Portia male shows off his legs and extends them stiffly and shakes them to attract the female. The female then drums on the web. After the male mounts her, the female drops a dragline and they mate in mid-air. Mating with Portia spiders can occur off or on the web. The spider also practices cannibalism before and after copulation. The female usually twists and lunges at the mounted male. (P. fimbriata, however, is an exception; it does not usually exhibit such behavior.) If the male is killed before completing copulation, the male sperm is removed and the male is then eaten. If the male finishes mating before being killed, the sperm is kept for fertilization and the male is eaten. A majority of males are killed during sexual encounters." - Wikipedia

"Some key characteristics of a Portia are:
Physical features: 0.24” to 0.39” (6 to 10 mm) long.
Poisonous: No.
Lives in: World-wide.

Eats: The Portia Spider hunts and eats other spiders. They will eat any type of spiders, including spiders that are 200 times their own size but they prefer web spiders, probably because they have specialized techniques for stalking and capturing other spiders in their webs. The manner by which they stalk and capture their prey is fascinating because they use specialized tactics for each type of spider they are hunting. Some of their clever hunting schemes include: Imitating a fly caught in a web, pretending to be an inanimate object, conducting the mating ritual of a specific spider species, attaching their own web to the web of their prey, catching a fly and putting it in the spider’s web; while the spider is eating the fly, the Portia sneaks up and eats the spider." - WikiHow

Read more on how to identify a Portia Spider:
http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Portia-Spider

Another interesting information on Portia (Do spiders have a mind?):
http://www.dichotomistic.com/mind_readings_spider%20minds.html

Jumping Spiders

I don't think I have posted a black & white macro photo before so here's my first - a minimalist Jumping Spider! No Monday blues!!! 

"Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Suborder: Opisthothelae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Salticidae
Blackwall, 1841

Genera
See List of Salticidae genera.

Diversity:
500+ genera, 5000+ species" - Wikipedia

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 Wings Of A Fly

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, made a remarkable statement about the flies carrying antidotes:

"The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 537)"

Scientists say that flies carry many types of bacteria, viruses and pathogenic microbes, but at the same time it carries on the surface of its body materials against these pathogens, and the best method to extract these biological material from the fly is to dip it in a liquid, and these new discoveries, puzzled researchers were not expected ever to find disease and medicine in the same creature, flies!

So now we have two scientific facts:
1 – The outer surface of the flies contains antibiotics killing bacteria and viruses.

2 - The best way to release (liberate) these antibiotics is to dip the fly in the liquid.

Entomologists confirm in their their latest research, that there is a great similarity between the  fly’s and the human heart! There are the same symptoms of heart disease resulting from aging, therefore, they strive to utilize flies in the manufacture of heart disease medications, i.e., that flies have a heart cure, too!!! 

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Macro Wallpaper

Another freshly Moulted Cricket - we saw 3 different just-moulted crickets in one night, such good luck! How does one tell a final moult when an insect can moult several times in their lifetime?
Identification of this cricket needed. Thank you very much! 😆
The molting process concerning insects is one of its more fascinating qualities.

macro photography, macro gallery, macro wallpaper, hd walpaper.

"Molting is the process by which insects grow. Generally accomplished through the early years of the insect's existence, molting allows the body of the insect to expand under controlled and protected conditions. In comparison, our (human) bodies expand with the growing of our bones and muscles as we age. Insects, on the other hand, utilize what is called an exoskeleton. This exoskeleton is basically their underlying bone structure that is located on the outside of their bodies with corresponding organs and muscles located underneath this hard shell. So in order for the insect to grow ­ i.e. increase in size ­ the insect must shed its current skin in favor of the new skin underneath. This process is known in the insect world was molting.

To undergo the process of molting, an insect must begin to take in air or water by either swallowing it in naturally or raising its internal blood pressure. This instigates the process of molting that begins. The result is a soft, expandable exoskeleton suitable for further, albeit limited, growth. This process is repeated several times during the life span of an insect depending on the species. The new exoskeleton will eventually harden and retain the original coloring of the insect as it matures and is exposed to the elements and everyday wear and tear.

Depending on the species, molting can actually occur about 5 to 60 times in the life span of an insect and is generally regarded as one of the most vulnerable processes that an insect can go through. Yet this process is naturally required by insects to continue to grow into a full adult stage. Not surprisingly, molting is not limited to insect species alone as even spiders and snakes undergo the procedure as needed."

Text and Info Credit, and to read more:
http://www.insectidentification.org/process-of-molting.asp


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Macro Photo Wallpaper

The Order of insects, Orthoptera, include grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, and katydids.

The suborder Caelifera includes some 2,400 valid genera and about 11,000 species. Many undescribed species probably exist, especially in tropical wet forests. The Caelifera have a predominantly tropical distribution with fewer species known from temperate zones, but most of the superfamilies have representatives worldwide. They are almost exclusively herbivorous and are probably the oldest living group of chewing herbivorous insects.

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"Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Ander, 1939

Superfamilies:
Tridactyloidea
Tetrigoidea
Eumastacoidea
Pneumoroidea
Pyrgomorphoidea
Acridoidea
Tanaoceroidea
Trigonopterygoidea

Grasshoppers have the typical insect body plan of head, thorax and abdomen. The head is held vertically, at an angle to the body with the mouth at the bottom. It bears a large pair of compound eyes which give all-round vision, three simple eyes which can detect light and dark and a pair of thread-like antennae which are sensitive to touch and smell. The downward-directed mouthparts are modified for chewing and there are two sensory palps in front of the jaws.

The thorax and abdomen are segmented and have a rigid cuticle made up of overlapping plates composed of chitin. The three fused thoracic segments bear three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings. The forewings, known as tegmina, are narrow and leathery while the hind wings are large and membranous, the veins providing strength. The legs are terminated by claws for gripping. The hind leg is particularly powerful; the femur is robust and has several ridges where different surfaces join and the inner ridges bear stridulatory pegs in some species. The posterior edge of the tibia bears a double row of spines and there are a pair of articulated spurs near its lower end. The interior of the thorax houses the muscles that control the limbs.

Crickets, like this great green bush-cricket Tettigonia viridissima, somewhat resemble grasshoppers but have over 20 segments in their antennae and different ovipositors.

The abdomen has eleven segments, the first of which is fused to the thorax and contains the auditory organ and tympanum. Segments two to eight are ring-shaped and joined by flexible membranes. Segments nine to eleven are reduced; segment nine bears a pair of cerci and segments ten and eleven house the reproductive organs. Female grasshoppers are normally larger than males, with short ovipositors. The name "Caelifera" comes from the Latin and means chisel-bearing, referring to the sharp ovipositor.

Those species that make easily heard noises usually do so by rubbing a row of pegs on the hind femurs against the edges of the forewings (stridulation). These sounds are produced mainly by males to attract females, though in some species the females also stridulate." - Wikipedia

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Media for Leaf, Plant, Tree hoppers

I post this so there's a reference for me in future. I thought you might like to know this, too! Question - any disputes/updates about the classifications/families in the illustrations?

Source: http://global.britannica.com/animal/plant-hopper


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I would have easily mistaken this for a grasshopper if viewed head on except for its long body stick-like shape.

#macro #macroaddict #hqspmacro #singapore #animals  #insects #macrophotography #macroinsingapore  #nature #insectphotography   #animalsphotography   #canonphotography  

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Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Calliphoridae
Genus: Lucilia
Species: L. sericata
Binomial name
Lucilia sericata
(Meigen, 1826)

Synonyms:
Phaenicia sericata (Meigen, 1826)
Lucilia nobilis (Meigen, 1826)
Musca nobilis Meigen, 1826
Musca sericata Meigen, 1826

"The common green bottle fly (biological name Phaenicia sericata or Lucilia sericata) is a blow fly found in most areas of the world, and the most well-known of the numerous green bottle fly species. It is 10–14 mm long, slightly larger than a house fly, and has brilliant, metallic, blue-green or golden coloration with black markings. It has short, sparse black bristles (setae) and three cross-grooves on the thorax. The wings are clear with light brown veins, and the legs and antennae are black. The maggots (larvae) of the fly are used for maggot therapy.

The defining characteristic of L. sericata, and most used when identifying the adult fly is the presence of three bristles on the dorsal mesothorax. This body region is located on the middle of the back of the fly. L. sericata is almost identical to its sister species, L. cuprina. Identification between these requires microscopic examination of two main distinguishing characteristics. As opposed to L. cuprina, which has a metallic green femoral joint in the first pair of legs, L. sericata is blue-black. Also, when looking at the occipital setae, L. sericata has one to 9 bristles on each side, while L. cuprina has three or less.

Lucilia sericata is common all over the temperate and tropical regions of the planet, mainly the Southern Hemisphere: Africa and Australia. It prefers warm and moist climates and accordingly is especially common in coastal regions, but it also is present in arid areas. The female lays her eggs in meat, fish, animal corpses, infected wounds of humans or animals, and excrement. The larvae feed on decomposing tissue. The insect favours species of the genus Ovis, domestic sheep in particular. This can lead to blow fly strike, causing problems for sheep farmers, though L. sericata is not a major cause of blow fly strike in most regions.

L. sericata is an important species to forensic entomologists. Like most calliphorids, L. sericata has been heavily studied and its lifecycle and habits are well documented. Accordingly, the stage of its development on a corpse is used to calculate a minimum post mortem interval, so that it can be used to aid in determining the time of death of the victim. The presence or absence of L. sericata can provide information about the conditions of the corpse. If the insects seem to be on the path of their normal development, the corpse likely has been undisturbed. If, however, the insect shows signs of a disturbed lifecycle, or is absent from a decaying body, this suggests post mortem tampering with the body. Because L. sericata is one of the first insects to colonize a corpse, it is preferred to many other species in determining an approximate time of colonization. Developmental progress is determined with relative accuracy by measuring the length and weight of larval lifecycles.

Many blow flies have an impact in the veterinary sense, and L. sericata is no exception. In places such as the UK and Australia, L. sericata is commonly referred to as the "sheep blow fly" since sheep are its primary host in those regions. Although it affects mainly sheep, L. sericata is not host-specific.

L. sericata has been of medical importance since 1826, when Meigen removed larvae from the eyes and facial cavities of a human patient. L. sericata has shown promise in three separate clinical approaches. First, larvae have been shown to debride wounds with extremely low probability of myiasis upon clinical application. Larval secretions have been shown to help in tissue regeneration. L. sericata has also been shown to lower bacteremia levels in patients infected with MRSA. Basically, L. sericata larvae can be used as biosurgery agents in cases where antibiotics and surgery are impractical.

Larval secretions in vitro enhance fibroblast migration to the wound site, improving wound closure.[8] Larval therapy of L. sericata is highly recommended for the treatment of wounds infected with Gram-positive bacteria, yet is not as effective for wounds infected with Gram-negative bacteria. Also, bacteria from the genus Vagococcus were resistant to the maggot excreta/secreta. Attempts are currently ongoing to extract or synthesize the chymotrypsins found in larval secretions to destroy MRSA without application of the larvae." - Wikipedia

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Hoverfly (Eristalinus megacephalus) with its head turned 180 degrees showing its mouth.

"Eristalinus megacephalus has a black abdomen and golden horizonal stripes larger in males. It has a black thorax, legs with black tips, transparent, flexible wings, a large head and golden compound eyes with pale purple spots. Being about 8–11 mm long, it is a good pollinator, and uses Batesian mimicry to look like hymenopteran bees and scare away predators. Its appearance is also similar to bee flies (family Bombyliidae). The species is listed in 2: 63 of Rossi's publication Mantissa insectorum. There are no subspecies. It is the rarest species of the genus Eristalinus, and is common but not abundant.

The species's flight period is from May to October, and is most plentiful from June to July.

E. megacephalus can be found in most countries, including South Africa, Egypt, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, India, Java, Guam, Southern Spain, Turkey, North Africa, Iran, and coastal parts of Italy. (Does it include Singapore now?)

The word megacephalus consists of the prefix mega - and the suffix -cephalus. - Cephalus, derived from New Latin, means an unusual condition of the head. Mega - , a metric system prefix describing one million (1,000,000) of the base word, is used to emphasize the largeness or greatness of an object. The prefix is derived from Greek megas, which means huge and powerful." - Wikipedia

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Ecdysis is the process of shedding the old skin (in reptiles) or casting off the outer cuticle (in insects and other arthropods).

"Insects in the cricket family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids or bush crickets. More than 6,400 species are known. They are also known as long-horned grasshoppers, to distinguish them from the Caelifera, the true or short-horned grasshoppers. Part of the suborder Ensifera, it is the only family in the superfamily Tettigonioidea.

Primarily nocturnal in habit, with strident mating calls, many katydids exhibit mimicry and camouflage, commonly with shapes and colors similar to leaves.

The name is derived from the genus Tettigonia, first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1748. Latin tettigonia means leafhopper; it is from Greek tettigonion, the diminutive of the imitative (onomatopoeic) τέττιξ, tettix, cicada.

Tettigoniids range in size from as small as 5 to as large as 130 mm. The smaller species typically live in drier or more stressful habitats which may lead to their small size. The small size is associated with greater agility, faster development, and lower nutritional needs. Tettigoniids are tree-living insects that are most commonly heard at night during summer and early fall. Tettigoniids may be distinguished from the grasshopper by the length of their filamentous antennae, which may exceed their own body length, while grasshoppers' antennae are always relatively short and thickened.

The lifespan of a katydid is about a year, with full adulthood usually developing very late. Females most typically lay their eggs at the end of summer beneath the soil or in plant stem holes. The eggs are typically oval-shaped and laid in rows on the host plant. The way their ovipositor is formed relates to its functional adaptability in the areas which it lays eggs. The ovipositor is an organ used by insects for laying of eggs. It consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages formed to transmit the egg, to prepare a place for it, and place it properly. Tettigoniids have either sickle-shaped ovipositors which typically lay eggs in dead or living plant matter, or uniform elongated ovipositors which lay eggs in grass stems. When tettigoniids hatch, the nymphs often look like smaller versions of the adults, but in some species, the nymphs look nothing at all like the adult and rather mimic other species such as spiders and assassin bugs, or flowers, to prevent predation. The nymphs remain in a mimic state only until they are large enough to escape predation. Once they complete their last molt, they are then prepared to mate." - Wikipedia

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The last one I posted was in December but this one has bright fiery orange to its dark body. Again you can see a silk line being pulled from its end. I have no idea what spider this is.

"Spider webs are made of silk, produced from spinnerets at the end of a spider's abdomen. Most spiders have three pairs of spinnerets, which are supplied by silk glands within the abdomen.

A spider may be able to produce as many as six different types of silk. These silks can be used and combined to spin webs, wrap prey, line their retreats, construct egg cocoons and travel.

This silk has some amazing properties. It is composed of a mixture of protein crystals in a matrix of amino acids. This structure makes it one of the strongest of natural fibers, about half as strong as steel. But unlike steel, spider silk is very extensible, so it actually is "tougher" than steel. Researchers are focusing on ways to biosynthesize silk to create new fiber products.

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The 142,000 species of moths worldwide range in appearance from large and colorful to small and dull.

Release the Scent:
When the female is ready to mate, she releases air-borne chemicals called pheromones from a gland close to her abdomen. The male receives them through his antenna, according to the Encyclopedia Smithsonian website. The pheromones have an odor that informs male moths that the female is ready. The scent is species-specific and is rarely confused by other male moths outside of the female’s species.

Getting the Job Done:
Various species of moths mate during different times of the year. Moths, however, need warm weather to fly and generally mate only when the temperature is over 77 degrees Fahrenheit. After the female attracts the male with her pheromones, the male attaches to the female and fertilizes the eggs internally. Some species of moths mate after a dance or rigorous battle, while others are docile maters.

Finding the Eggs a Home:
Female moths carry the eggs inside their bodies and search for a place to lay them soon after mating. Some species may have 100 or more eggs at a time, while others may only have a few. Generally the female deposits the eggs in a location where the newly hatched larvae will have plenty of food, generally around plants or leaves. Often, the eggs lay dormant until the weather is warm enough for the young to thrive.

The Circle of Life:
After the eggs hatch, the new larvae are known as caterpillars. During this stage, they live in and feed off the land. They burrow deep in the ground during the winter months and emerge in the spring, often feeding on vegetation and crops, such as tobacco, often causing farmers strife. After this stage, the winged creature everyone recognizes as a moth, with its long, segmented abdomen, antenna and wings, emerges. Adult moths generally live from a few days to nine months or longer, depending on the species.

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"The Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) is a common species of swallowtail butterfly widely distributed across Asia.

This butterfly is known for the mimicry displayed by the numerous forms of its females which mimic inedible red-bodied swallowtails, such as the common rose and the crimson rose.

The common name is an allusion to the polygamy formerly practiced by members of the Mormon sect according to Harish Gaonkar, of the Natural History Museum in London


The origins of giving common English names to organisms, particularly butterflies for tropical species started in India around the mid 19th century ... The naming of Mormons evolved slowly. I think the first to get such a name was the Common Mormon (Papilio polytes), because it had three different females, a fact that could only have been observed in the field, and this they did in India. The name obviously reflected the ... Mormon sect in America, which as we know, practiced polygamy.

The scientific name is constructed from the Latin word for butterfly, papilio, and the Greek word for many, poly.

The Common Mormon is fond of visiting flowers and its long proboscis permits it to feed from flowers having long corollar tubes.

Only the males take part in mud puddling, usually in cool shaded spots rather than in open areas. They have been known to collect on saline soils to extract minerals.

Both sexes bask in the sun on shrubs close to the ground. They hold their wings flat against the substratum. The forewing is lowered to cover part of the hindwing and is a typical stance of the Common Mormon.

Common Mormons spend the night settled on vegetation with their wings held open, usually quite close to the ground.

Status:
Very common. Not threatened.

Description:
Jet black butterfly with row of white spots along the middle part of hindwing. 90–100 mm.

Male:
The male has one morph only. It is a dark-coloured swallow-tailed butterfly. The upper forewing has a series of white spots decreasing in size towards the apex. The upper hindwing has a complete discal band of elongated white spots. It may or may not have marginal red crescents. The males are generally smaller in size than the females but not always. Both male and all forms of the female of P. polytes can vary considerably in size depending on climatic region.

Female:
The female of the Common Mormon is polymorphic. In South Asia, it has three forms or morphs. These are as follows:

Form cyrus
This form is similar to the male, differing in that it always has strongly marked red crescents. It is the least common of the three forms. It is normally abundant where the common rose or crimson rose do not occur, such as in Himachal Pradesh around Shimla; although a few specimens of form romulus have also been caught alongside.

Form stichius
This female form of the Common Mormon mimics the common rose very closely. This is the commonest form wherever the common rose flies.

Form romulus
This female form mimics the crimson rose and is common over its range. It is not such a close mimic as the previous form being duller than its model. It is easy to differentiate the mimics from models by the colour of their body—the models are red-bodied and the mimics are black-bodied.

This species has considerable genetic variability and is known to produce gynandromorphs, genetic aberrations which are part male and part female." - Wikipedia

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Planthopper - Spittle Bug (Cercopidae)?

How to differentiate a leafhopper/planthopper/treehopper?

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Photo of the MOTHER of the furry nest of eggs which I said I will post. Like I said, it flustered and flutter away. My friends and I stood still, waiting for it to come to a halt and rest so we could take pictures of it. We had our chance finally, after a couple of minutes.

Guess where it landed? On my friend's pants just slightly above his knee! He had a great shooting angle with the moth at a vertical facing him - face to face! And as for how I got my shots whilst she's on his pants? I'm not telling you, lol... Expect to see more of this creature in my upcoming posts!

Update +B. Hinderks: Neochera inops is a moth in the family Erebidae.


"Moths comprise a group of insects related to butterflies, belonging to the order Lepidoptera. Most lepidopterans are moths; and there are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which are yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, but there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.

Some moths, particularly their caterpillars, can be a major agricultural pest in many parts of the world. Examples include corn borers and bollworms. The caterpillar of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) causes severe damage to forests in the northeastern United States, where it is an invasive species. In temperate climates, the codling moth causes extensive damage, especially to fruit farms. In tropical and subtropical climates, the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is perhaps the most serious pest of brassicaceous crops.

Several moths in the family Tineidae are commonly regarded as pests because their larvae eat fabric such as clothes and blankets made from natural proteinaceous fibers such as wool or silk. They are less likely to eat mixed materials containing some artificial fibers. There are some reports that they may be repelled by the scent of wood from juniper and cedar, by lavender, or by other natural oils; however, many consider this unlikely to prevent infestation. Naphthalene (the chemical used in mothballs) is considered more effective, but there are concerns over its effects on human health.

Moth larvae may be killed by freezing the items which they infest for several days at a temperature below −8 °C (18 °F).

Despite being notorious for eating clothing, most moth adults do not eat at all. Many, like the Luna, Polyphemus, Atlas, Promethea, cecropia, and other large moths do not have mouth parts. Among those adult moths that do eat, they will drink nectar." - Wikipedia

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