A rare beauty

On July 16, a group of curious onlookers, at Haragama, off Kandy, along the Kandy Randenigala Road, were gazing enthusiastically at an insect with unusually large wings. It was a very rare type of moth with a wing span of about eight inches and a length of about ten inches.

Sanjeeva Rambukwella, a keen photographer, captured the moth resting on the palm of an onlooker. Later, he found not one, but two, resting .

Rambukwella called on Dr. Sam Jayawardena, a storehouse of knowledge on butterflies. According to Dr. Sam this moth of Indian origin, is known as ‘Indian Moon Moth,’ and its scientific name is ‘Actius Luna’. According to expert opinion, these moths may have crossed over to Sri Lanka via Indian fishing vessels.