Durian Season

Came across this sign while roaming around another patch of forest here, and was happily reminded that...

IT' S DURIAN SEASON !!!

Yum ;)

Another Giant Visitor

Almost a year after "Lucky", the giant praying mantis flew into my room, we had a visit from another giant beauty of the insect world.

As I returned home from supper several nights ago, I spotted a Tropical swallowtail moth (Lyssa zampa), which was flying at one of the lights just outside our door. With a wingspan of 10 - 12 cm, "fluttering" wouldn't have been the most appropriate word to describe the flight of this large-winged beauty, as it flapped around the light with strong and very audible wingbeats. Every half a minute or so, it would pause to fly to an adjacent wall to rest, groom itself (by rubbing its forelegs against its antennae, which you can vaguely see in the photo), then return to flying around that light again.

Several times, as I stood directly under the light to watch, it would fly across my face or around my head, with an audible whup whup whup of its wings. That was quite an experience, although it took a bit of effort to stifle the instinctive urge to duck or flinch. I guess knowing that the moth wouldn't bite or sting probably helped, and it probably wasn't poisonous either (at least if I didn't try to eat it, heh).

Upon Googling to identify it, I came across Habitat News, a newsletter from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. Turned out that they were trying to collect information on sightings and distribution of the Tropical Swallowtail Moth in Singapore. Thus, if anyone out there has also spotted one of these moths, could you help them by filling out their online form and submitting it as well? Having worked with other colleagues who were field biologists in uni, I think any assistance in collecting information about these winged beauties would be readily appreciated :)
~~~

On a slightly different and whimsical note, I came home one night during the Chinese New Year period, to find a small juvenile praying mantis perched at the entrance of our front door. "Maybe it's one of Lucky's little kids, coming to visit for Chinese New Year", I thought :) Even the way the little mantis held out its forelegs reminded me of the way kids hold out their hands in the traditional CNY greeting. However, before I had a chance to sprint to my room to get my camera, the little fella turned to look at me, jumped up, and flew off into the night.

Hope they're all doing alright, wherever they are :)

"A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
and for a brief moment, its glory and beauty
belong to our world.

But then it flies again,
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it."

- Author Unknown