Polka dot wasp Syntomeida epilais showing a moth with wings outstretched. The wings are metallic black with green and blue highlights. There are 5 large white spots of each set of wings, and also on the furry body. The terminal abdominal segments are a striking rusty scarlet. Legs are black with white tarsi, and the tips of the black antennae are also white. Watercolour #sciart #naturalscienceillustration completed by hand.

This is the Polka dot wasp #moth #Syntomeida epilais, also known as the #Oleander moth (on which its yellow caterpillars with their long black setae feed voraciously). Completed for the National Trust of #Montserrat, & UKOTCF. It's used in a colouring book, in a section about patterns in nature.