Ceiling monitor

I have another visitor. He turned up at the door yesterday, came in (with help), then found himself a comfy spot and settled in.

He's on the ceiling; been there since last night.

Small magpie moth, Anania hortulata.

See those big eyes? Together, they're bigger than the rest of the head. Moths have compound eyes, up to 17,000 individual light receptors, ommatidia, in each large eye. There is no eyelid; these eyes are always open. And because of their relative size, they may, as in this little moth, be looking straight at you, no matter where you are. (Sort of like some spooky paintings.)

It's a weird feeling, having a pair of eyes on the ceiling, always staring down at me.

"I'm watching you, down there!"

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