8 Majestic and Wonderfully Colorful Moths !!!

1.) Madagascan Sunset Moth

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The colorful and beautiful Madagascan Sunset Moth was first described by the British entomologist Dru Drury in 1773, and is one of the few day-flying moths. It is found year round all over the island, with the populations reaching a peak between March and August, there being far fewer at other times of year. This spectacular moth is considered to be one of the most impressive and beautiful in the world. This very colorful species is much sought after by collectors. It has a wingspan of around three to four inches.

2. Atlas Moth

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The Atlas moth, considered the largest in the world, with total wing surface area  of around 62 sq in., and wingspan of up to 12in,  is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southern Asia and Malaya. Females are normally much bigger and heavier than males. In India Atlas moths are cultivated for their silk, which  is secreted as broken strands. This brown, wool-like silk is thought to have greater durability and is known as ‘fagara’. Taiwanese women have been known to carry purses made from Atlas moth cocoons.

3.Oleander Hawk Moth

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The unique and intricately designed Oleander Hawk-moth is a large hawk-moth that inhabits wide areas of Asia and Africa. This migratory species flies to eastern and southern Europe during summer. Its caterpillar is pale blue and change to green as it grows. These types of moth have been much studied for their flying ability, especially their ability to move rapidly from side to side while hovering, called ‘swing-hovering.’ It is thought that this evolved to deal with ambush predators that lie in wait in flowers , though they are capable of flying at 30mph if necessary, among the fastest of all winged insects.

4. Royal Walnut Moth

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The colorful  Royal Walnut Moth  is native to North America. This majestic moth , with a wingspan of up to 7in, is the world’s largest moth in terms of mass. After mating, the female spends almost all of he life laying eggs. Adult Regal moths, as they are also known, have no mouths to eat with and thus only live for about a week. The  impressive caterpillar is called the Hickory Horned Devil, and looks far more dangerous than it is

5. White Witch Moth

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This very plain colored but uniquely patterned moth commonly known as White Witch is considered to be that with the biggest wingspan in the moth world, which can be up to 12in, though the Atlas Moth has a much larger wing area.  This is one of those creatures that are becoming rarer, be found in Texas, USA, in Mexico and in Central and South America.

6. Bee robber moth

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This large moth with a wingspan of up to 13 cm can be found in the Philippines, Japan, and India and in many parts of the Oriental region. This nocturnal Death’s-head Hawk-Moth species is very fond of honey. It has the ability to mimic the scent of honey bees that it can go inside a hive unharmed to get honey. It has a stout and powerful tongue capable of piercing the wax cells and sucking the honey out.

7. Polyphemus Moth

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One of the giant silk moths^, the Polyphemus It is a tan colored moth, with an average six inch wingspan Native to the whole of the North American continent, it is even found as far south as Mexico.One of the most striking features its large, purplish eye-spots on the hind wings . These led to it being named, in honor of  the Greek myth of the Cyclops Polyphemus. The caterpillar of this  Moth can, amazingly,  eat as much as 86,000 times its own body weight in a little less than two months..

8.Hercules Moth

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Sometimes wrongly labeled as the Atlas moth, the Hercules is one of the largest moth species in the world, with a wingspan of roughly one foot.  The wonderfully subtle brown wings of both males and females have triangular transparent ‘windows’. . The wings  of the male have long tapered tails while those of the  females do not, but female wings are larger in overall area. The adult female has no mouth, as her brief life does not include feeding. Once she emerges from the cocoon, her wings unfold and dry, before she starts to emit pheromones for attracting a male. Once mated, she flies away, lays her eggs and dies shortly after.

Tags: Africa, Asia, Colorful Moths, eggs, Hawk Moth, Hickory Horned Devil, insects, Mexico, Moths, North America, rare, South America, species, Sunset Moth

Category: Environment, Featured, Nature