Archaeoattacus edwardsii

Archaeoattacus edwardsii
Archaeoattacus edwardsii - male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Archaeoattacus
Species: A. edwardsii
Binomial name
Archaeoattacus edwardsii
White, 1859
Synonyms
  • Attacus edwardsii White, 1859

Archaeoattacus edwardsii, common name Edward's Atlas Moth, is a species of moths belonging to the Saturniidae family, Saturniinae subfamily.


Description

Archaeoattacus edwardsii is one of the world's largest species and the largest Asian moth, with wingspan reaching up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in). The basic colour of the uppersides of the wings range from dark to pale brown, with a striking pattern of white markings. The undersides of the wings are similar to dorsal sides. Females attract males by means of the scent produced by a gland located at the end of the abdomen. Larvae feed on Machilus, Prunus and Ailanthus species. At the first instar caterpillars are white with black stripes, while the later instars are whitish and covered by dense waxy powder

Distribution

This species is present in the Himalayas (India and Nepal), Vietnam, Burma, Bhutan, Peninsular Malaysia and in Borneo, Sabah.

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, September 30, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.