The crackling moth
This short note by H. N. Ridley describes the distinctive nocturnal behaviour and appearance of a black moth, likely Nyctipho hieroglyphica, whose chasing flight produces a crackling sound audible along roads at dusk (p. 109).
Summary
Ridley provides a detailed morphological description of the male, noting its three-and-a-half-inch wingspan, deep brown-black colouration, a yellow mark resembling an “8” near the wing tip, and a faint shadowy eyespot, and distinguishes it from the Ceylon form figured by Moore in its darker colour and indistinct eye (p. 109). He documents the moth’s habit of emerging around half past six in the evening to fly briskly along open roads and paths, where pairs chasing each other produce the characteristic crackling noise; the species is abundant in Singapore and also recorded from Pahang and other parts of the peninsula, appearing at the end of May (p. 110).