Wonderfully Disconcerting Footage of a Giant Brahmin Moth With an Intricate Tiger Eye Wing Pattern

While in Malaysia, wildlife photographer David Weiller captured wonderful footage of a giant Brahmin moth (Brahmaea hearseyi) sitting calmly on a branch in Sabah, Borneo. While the moth remained still, the footage was a bit disconcerting due to the moth’s intricate wing pattern that creates an optical illusion of fierce tiger eyes staring back at the camera.

This 15cm moth has some of the most intricate ‘optical illusion’ wing patterns. The impressive fake ‘eye’ markings make it look like an owl or a tiger. The parallel fine lines are typical of the graphic patterns of the Family Brahmaeidae. These lines are wavy, broken, accentuated and cover a large part of the wing surface.