Ep. 13 Seeing the Light - moths & butterflies revealed. Dr. Michael Ochse in conversation

The East Africa Travel Podcast | Diary of a Muzungu

In episode 13, we go niche! When I moved to Uganda, one of my biggest fears was how I would cope with insects! Here at Sunbird Hill, Nature Monitoring and Rewilding Site, Kibale Forest, Uganda, on the edge of Kibale Forest, we see shiny green beetles with purple wings and swallowtail butterflies that are as big as your hand. Look at my social media now, and you'll see me holding a giant goliath beetle. It's clear I've put any phobia behind me for the bigger the creature, the more fascinated I am.

In this week's podcast I talk insects and moths with visiting entomologist Dr Michael Ochse of Pollichia, a German environmental organisation.

Listen to our conversation as I ask:

• What makes Kibale Forest such a biodiversity hotspot?
• How big is Papilio Antimachus - (pictured in my podcast artwork) - Africa's largest butterfly?How easy is it to identify a butterfly?
• What makes Uganda such a good destination to travel around?
• And lastly, what am I doing with hundreds of insects buzzing around me in the middle of the night?

Welcome to my world!

Tune in every week to The East Africa Travel Podcast for the dawn chorus, travel advice, chats with award-winning conservationists, safari guides, birders, lodge owners, and wacky guidebook writers.

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