In a surprising find at Hulhumale Central Park, I stumbled upon a tiny moth pupa. Watching closely, I noticed its color change after just one day. On the third day, a beautiful moth emerged from the pupa, spreading its wings for the first time. Though I couldn’t take many pictures, I managed to snap a few from the top.
This was my first encounter with the Orothalassodes falsaria moth. It’s usually found in places like northeastern India, Sri Lanka, China, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Bali. Interestingly, any previous sightings in Taiwan turned out to be a different moth species called Orothalassodes pervulgatus.
Taxonomy:
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Geometridae
- Genus: Orothalassodes
- Species: O. falsaria
This discovery adds to the unique wildlife of the Maldives. It reminds us of the importance of exploring and protecting our natural environment.
