Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, but there are also crepuscular and diurnal species.
Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and giant silk moths.
The comet moth or Madagascan moon moth is a moth native to the rain forests of Madagascar. The species was first described by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville in 1847. The male has a wingspan of 20 cm and a tail span of 15 cm, making it one of the world's largest silk moths. The female lays from 120 to 170 eggs, and after hatching, the larvae feed on Eugenia and Weinmannia leaves for approximately two months before pupating. The cocoon has numerous holes to keep the pupa from drowning in the daily rains of its natural habitat. The adult moth cannot feed and only lives for 4 to 5 days. Although endangered in the wild due to habitat loss, the comet moth has been bred in captivity.
The dryandra moth is a species of moth that is considered to be the sole member of the family Carthaeidae. Its closest relatives are the Saturniidae and it bears a resemblance to many species of that family, bearing prominent eyespots on all wings. The common name is derived from the Dryandra shrubs of the genus Banksia, on which the larva of this species feed, and is hence restricted to the south-west of Western Australia where these shrubs grow. Other Grevillea shrubs may also be used as host plants.
Actias ningpoana, the Chinese moon moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by father-and-son entomologists Cajetan and Rudolf Felder in 1862. It is quite large, and has long, curved, hindwing tails. There are many congeners across Asia; the Luna moth of Eastern Canada and the United States is a close relative.
Argema mimosae, the African moon moth, is a giant silk moth of the family Saturniidae. Similar in appearance to the giant Madagascan moon moth, but smaller, this moth can be found widely in Eastern Africa and more locally in Southern Africa, including near the east coast of South Africa. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1847. An adult can measure 10 to 12 centimetres across its wingspan and 12 to 14 centimetres from head to the tip of its elongated tail-like second pair of wings. Its forward wings have a distinctive grey-coloured "furry" leading edge, giving a very rough surface, presumably for aerodynamic reasons. Apart from the eye-like markings on its wings, the colouring and shape of the wings give the appearance of a piece of foliage, especially the tail-like structures of the rearmost wings which resemble a dried out leaf stem - presumably for camouflage in its natural environment.
Citheronia lobesis is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Walter Rothschild in 1907. This moth has light orange bottom wings and darker orange upper wings with spots on them. Also, the body is orange and has black stripes.
The Saturniinae or saturniines are a subfamily of the family Saturniidae. They are commonly known as emperor moths or wild silk moths. They are easily spotted by the eyespots on the upper surface of their wings. Some exhibit realistic eye-like markings, whilst others have adapted the eyespots to form crescent moon or angular shapes or have lost their wing scales to create transparent windows. They are medium to very large moths, with adult wingspans ranging from 7.5 to 15 cm, in some cases even more. They consist of some of the largest groups of Lepidoptera like the moon or luna moth, atlas moth, and many more. The Saturniinae is an important source of wild silk and human food in many different cultures.
Callosamia promethea, commonly known as the promethea silkmoth, is a member of the family Saturniidae, which contains approximately 1,300 species. It is also known as the spicebush silkmoth, which refers to is one of the promethea silkmoth's common host plants, spicebush. C. promethea is classified as a silk moth, which stems from its ability to produce silk, which it does in the formation of its cocoon. C. promethea lives in forests in the eastern U.S. and does not damage the trees on which it lives. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.
Coscinocera hercules, the Hercules moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae, endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia. The species was first described by William Henry Miskin in 1876. It has a wingspan of 27 centimetres (11 in), making it the largest moth found in Australia, and its wings have the largest documented surface area of any living insect. The larvae of this moth feed on Polyscias elegans, Glochidion ferdinandi, Dysoxylum muelleri, Prunus serotina, Timonius rumphii, but also eat other plants in captivity.
The sheep moth, or common sheep moth, is a member of the family Saturniidae of silk moths and is native to western North America. In California, its range is west of the Sierran crest and the mountains of Southern California, ranging near to the coast. The moth is dayflying and appears in summer. It feeds on plants of three genera: Ceanothus, Rhamnus, and Rosa. Nuttall's sheep moth and one other species are similar, occurring in sagebrush areas east of the Sierra Nevada. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1852.
Anisota virginiensis, the pink-striped oakworm moth, is a species of silk moth of the family Saturniidae.
Argema is a genus of moths from the family Saturniidae, commonly known as moon moths. They are distinguished by long tails on their hindwings.
Lintneria smithi is a species of moth in the family Sphingidae, the sphinx moths and hawk moths. It is known by the common name Smith's sphinx. It is known from southern Arizona, southeastern New Mexico, and Sonora in northwestern Mexico.
Imbrasia obscura is a species of moth belonging to the family Saturniidae first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1878.
Argema kuhnei is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia.
Argema fournieri is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It is found in Cameroon and Nigeria.
Actias chapae or colloquially known as the 'celestial moon moth' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Vietnam and China and potentially other countries in the region; it is a montane species recorded from 1500m and higher. It appears to be an exclusive pine feeder and has been raised on many different species of Pinus in captivity.
Actias aliena is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Japan. The wings have bluish to yellowish-greenish blue ground colour, which is more yellowish in summer generations, but always with a dense scale cover. The eyes of the forewings are narrow, with a single armilla, which on the hindwings sometimes has a black or dark grey frame. This frame is absent in the spring generation. The wings have grey transversal postmedial fasciae between the eye and outer margin. The fascia is rather distinct and sometimes slightly undulate, especially in the hindwing. Its mitochondrial genome has been sequenced.
Cricula ceylonica, the Sri Lankan cricula silkmoth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by Karl Jordan in 1909 and it is endemic to Sri Lanka. The debate of this species with much broader range circular species - Cricula trifenestrata is not yet fully understood. However, Rougerie et al., in 2009 considered Cricula ceylonica a valid species, probably endemic to Sri Lanka.
