Moths & Thunders

We had two uninvited guests last week, three evenings apart. The tropical swallowtail moths that "invaded" the metropolis — from BGC in Taguig to the Makati CBD to Fairview in Quezon City and many areas in between — sought refuge in my neck of the woods San Juan as well.

- DOREEN G. YU

One large moth — with a wingspan of about six inches, as big as it gets, dark brown with its distinctive vertical white stripes forming a V — found its way to our 19th floor apartment, attracted, I supposed, by the lights. It rested high on the wall close to the ceiling, and it took us about 20 minutes of rambunctious cajoling — in the dark, as we turned off the lights to discourage it from staying — before it was persuaded to seek hospitality elsewhere.

Three nights later, past midnight when "not a creature was stirring, not even the dog," another moth flew in through the open balcony doors (we are a no-aircon household, so the door opening out to the balcony was not closed), sending my little Yorkie Filemon Jr. scampering for safety under the covers of my helper Margi, rousing everyone in the process. A commotion ensued, but they decided to just turn off the lights and go back to sleep, hoping the moth — a smaller one this time, lighter brown with similar white stripes — would do likewise. By morning, the moth was gone.