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 Some of the most abundant and conspicuous creatures are the butterflies and
moths. Butterflies are nearly all day fliers and are most common in the
lowlands. One of the best places to see them is at Poring Hot Springs.
Moths, on the other hand, are mainly night fliers and are more common at higher
elevations. At Park HQ they are attracted in abundance to lights at the chalets
and around the street lamps, particularly after rain.
 The great majority of these moths are so tiny that most people would not give
them a second glance. Some of the larger moths, however, are quite spectacular.
One such is the huge reddish-brown Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) with its rich hues
and translucent wing parches. With a wing-span of 25 centimetres (10 inches),
the Atlas Moth is recognized as the largest moth in the world. The Moon Moth (Argema
maenas) is more rarely seen but is perhaps even more beautiful, its pale
powdery-green hindwings extended into long drawn-out tails. A commoner species
at both lowland and montane altitudes is the duller Zebra Moth (Lyssa mentoetius)
with its muted grey and white colours.
  Amongst the easiest moths to recognize as a group are the hawk moths, readily
distinguished by their long narrow forewings and triangular shape when at rest.
Many are important pollinators of scented night-flowering plants, and one
species is recorded as entering bee hives to steal the honey.
Some hawk moths may emerge from their chrysalises gregariously under certain
weather conditions and on a few occasions, when monsoon storms have broken after
a long, dry period, the bushes long the roadside at Park HQ have literally been
covered with hawkmoths, providing a veritable feast for the early morning birds
at the streetlamps. In recent years however, the number of moths attracted to
the lights appears to be decreasing, perhaps because many more hotels and
chalets are springing up around the park, so the insects are not so
concentrated. |
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