Invertebrates of the Day: Butterflies

It’s not the best season for butterflies in Madagascar, but you wouldn’t know it from a visit to Zombitse National Park, where every break in the forest canopy meant a patch of sun filled with butterflies. I don’t have an insect book for Madagascar, so here are some pictures with no identification. I’ll have to research when I get home.

Invertebrate of the Day: Proboscis Bug

This bug gets its name from its huge proboscis (nose). The young ones, pictured, excrete a waxy, cottony substance as a defense against birds, who don’t like the texture. At about three months, they become adults — and much tastier, because they stop producing “cotton.” Instead, they develop mottled wings that serve to camouflage them. They keep the awesome red … Read more