Attacus taprobanis is a species of
moth in the family
Saturniidae native to southern India and Sri Lanka. This adult male, photographed in
Kadavoor,
Kerala, developed from a
larva feeding on a
mahogany tree. When ready to pupate, the larva formed a papery cocoon 7.5 cm (3 in) long interwoven with a leaf; before doing this, the larva had attached the leaf to the stem with a silken thread and cut the leaf stalk. The colours of the dying leaf provided camouflage for the pupa, and the adult insect emerged some 24 days later.
Photograph credit: Jeevan Jose