Date:22/08/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/22/stories/2003082210230300.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

They are attracted to car headlights

By P.Oppili

The Indian Moon Moth, found near the city by the Zoological Survey of India. - Photo: K. Gajendran

Chennai Aug. 21. While driving a car on the East Coast Road during nights it is common to find small objects hitting on the windscreen. These are the insects that are attracted towards the headlights of cars and other vehicles and the most familiar, is the moth.

Closely related to butterflies, the moths are found everywhere from strand line of sandy shores to almost bare mountaintops. World over about 1,40,000 species of insects are found of which 1,27,000 are moths, say researchers. Records show that in India about 15,000 species of moths are found. The best way to differentiate a moth from a butterfly is to examine the antennae or feelers. Antennae of butterflies are slender and the ends are rounded into little clubs or knobs, whereas the moth's antennae lack the feelers. They resemble tiny feathers and some of them threadlike.

Basically nocturnal insects, moths are attracted towards light because of their navigatory nature. They travel long distances, regularly guided by straight light.

Like any other insect, moths have three pairs of legs and a body that is divided into three sections - head, thorax and abdomen. It is the scales on the wings containing a pigment, which give the insect some of its colour.

Recently, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) authorities found an Indian moon moth while visiting shores at Neelangarai. It is considerably larger than the Luna moth found in North America. The Indian moon moth has a stronger pink colouration on its wings.

It feeds mainly on mango trees, and while in the larva stage feed on walnut, sweet gum, apple, willow and in winter rhododendron, says Officer-in-Charge, Marine Biological Station, ZSI, K.Venkataraman.

Interestingly people in foreign countries collect both butterflies and moths, mount them carefully after identifying the species with the name of the specimen pasted on it. Instead of just collecting and displaying them, researchers suggest that enthusiasts observe the lifecycle of the moths and butterflies. All one has to do is to pick the plant to which the eggs or the caterpillar is attached to. Once the leaf withers away, replace it with a fresh one, allowing the caterpillar/eggs to crawl onto the new leaf.

Many nature lovers may not be aware of that the Government of India has already enacted legislation to protect Papilionid butterflies. Certain species have been brought under Wildlife Protection Act, as amended up to 1986. Accordingly under Schedule I altogether 114 Indian species and sub-species in four families have been included, add the authorities.