How this illustrator got inspired to study moths

When Labonie Roy describes her adventure of watching moths being drawn to a light trap in the wilderness of Agumbe mdash a village in Karnataka mdash this writer is transported to her only memory of seeing a shimmer of fireflies against a pitchdark sky and even darker dykes of jhau forest on West Bengalrsquos Tajpur beach Her voice echoes excitement and conviction in a magic that our rushed routines deprive us of The illustratorrsquos academic and professional background has helped her wade through artbased education Currently a fulltime freelance designer who develops educational resources in association with organisations Roy tells us that her interests somehow happened to align with her career choicesAtlas mothBut is the moth art series mdash images that caught the writerrsquos eye for the thrill of nightly light mdash a product of chance alignments too She elaborates ldquoEarlier this year I had applied for a grant from Creature Conserve a USbased platform that brings artists scientists and writers together to celebrate and conserve animals and habitats As part of the prospects of the grant I collaborated with moth biologist Pritha Dey to study their work and chronicle it through artrdquo She adds that Deyrsquos passion for the subject stimulated her curiosity about moths ldquoI have always felt for insects I think they get neglected as they are tiny and because other elements of nature are often sensationalised over them Also I wanted to study moths for their easy availability we donrsquot need to go far off to enjoy their splendourrdquoLabonie Roy in AgumbeThe artworks flaunt cicadas atlas moths and katydids among other creatures They look like twinkles against a screen flashing a rainbow of blue Roy believes the purpose of her art centres on curiosity ldquoI want people to be roused enough to ask questionsrdquo The 26yearold shares that these illustrations were meant to communicate the sense of enchantment that a moth researcherrsquos job ordinarily involves ldquoThe setup in the forest the lighttrap and the patient examination felt like a frame out of an alien film From a distance the trap did resemble a spaceshiprdquoLog on to labonieroyWhatrsquos cookingRoyrsquos cryptic social media post that offered a peek into her awarenessdriven art on nature left mothheads guessing about an extension of their recent nocturnal pursuits Spilling the beans the illustrator tells us that they mdash Roy and Dey mdash are working on a visually rich digital handbook The booklet employs art as a descriptive tool to nudge interest in moths document the atmosphere of mothing convey a researcherrsquos perspectives on the topic and pass on basic moth 101 Once ready the handbook will be uploaded online for free and easy access Both Roy and Dey hope that such efforts move people to know moths furtherThe joys of mothwatchinggtgt A layman doesnrsquot need to venture out to spot moths These insects are around us we only need to be more attentive to their presence Try and watch caterpillars on hibiscus or lily plants in the day These caterpillars usually metamorphose into mothsPritha Deygtgt Mothwatching doesnrsquot require fancy equipment The nocturnal beings are attracted to bright lights switching on lights at night can attract a diversity of insects Once a person has been introduced to the passion they can get mercuryvapour or ultraviolet lamps to charm more mothsgtgt Do not pluck a moth or a caterpillar out of its natural surroundings Do not touch them These insects have urticating hairs for defence So people should observe them from a distancegtgt Learning about the role of moths in the food chain can make people more conscious of their crucialitygtgt In many parts of the country moths are often considered a bad omen To debunk such ideas biologists draw attention to nighttime pollination Pollination in tuberose or jasmine and many other white flowers is facilitated by moths Would one see these flowers as a bad omen too