
The Madagascan Sunset Moth
Flying by day
this spineless boneless
innately venomous creature
is a paragon of brash
invertebrate beauty
but beauty comes
at such a price
Native only to Madagascar
it flits from bloom to bloom
its long proboscis
supping by preference
on the nectar of white flowers
More choosy still
are the larvae that
that feed only on plants
from the toxic Omphalea family
They hatch from eggs
laid on the underside
of the leaves of these plants
The white or pale yellow larvae
with bright red feet will
once they emerge
mercilessly devour the entire plant
leaf flower stems
and all
before moving on
to decimate another
of the same family
From tip to tip
their wings span
a good three inches
and boast shades of black
and blue and red and yellow
and emerald green
Patterns of kaleidoscopic effect
are produced by the wings’
curved scales creating
optical interference
as light is reflected
at sharply different angles
Toxicity is their defence
for though the caterpillars
eat the poisonous plants
the toxins are not digested :
these remain in their bodies
through pupation
into adulthood
To most predators
a most noxious
foul-tasting moth—
the iridescence of their wings
a salutary warning
John Lyons