Attacus

Last updated

Attacus
AttacusAtlasWyn.jpg
Attacus taprobanis from the Western Ghats of India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Tribe: Attacini
Genus: Attacus
Linnaeus, 1767
Synonyms
  • ArcuataPerry, 1811

Attacus is a genus of moths in the family Saturniidae. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of Systema Naturae. [1]

Contents

The genus contains the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), and Attacus caesar , the second and third largest known moths (in terms of wingspan), though different sources treat one or the other as slightly larger. Both are outclassed by the largest, (in terms of wingspan) moths, Thysania agrippina , also known as the White Witch Moth. [2] [3]

Like other saturniid moths, adults lack a fully formed digestive tract and do not feed.

Habitat

The moth's preferred habitat is primary forest and the forested lowlands around the vicinity of their hostplants. They are polyphagous and feed on members of the citrus family, Cinnamomum , Salix , Annona , Clerodendrum , Ligustrum , Ailanthus , Prunus , Syringa and Mussaenda .

Life cycle

Their life cycle is similar to any other Lepidoptera, with 4 life stages, egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. In the wet season, where host plants are in full flush, they start from eggs laid by the adult female moth, they hatch after about 3 weeks. At the first instar, they are just millimeters long, but quickly grow to 4-5 inches in length by their final instar. Once they reach the 5th and final instar, they start preparing to pupate. During this stage, their fleshy spines shrink some and they start to lose the ability to walk. They spin a silk cocoon around themselves, then molt for the final time. This protects them and keeps a slightly humid microclimate around them at all times, vital to the pupa's survival. This is because they 'overwinter' in the dry season, which would otherwise desiccate the hapless pupa. It molts for the last time, and turns into a large brown pupa. In this state, it will take approximately 1.5-2 months to emerge as a full grown adult. Then it will fly off into the jungle, to find a mate, breed, then die.

Mimicry and appearance

Adult moths are predominantly anywhere from cinnabar red to brick red, some even going into deep crimson red. The wingtips of many species mimic the head of a snake, and when threatened the moths will drop to the ground and slowly shake their wings, revealing the "snake head" and hopefully scaring would be predators away. They also have small transparent 'windows' in the middle of their wings.

Their caterpillars are pale green, fleshy, and have large wax covered spines. Younger instars are nearly mint colored, adorned with small blue flecks. As they grow, they become more solidly colored and lose their blue coloring, except on their prolegs and feet.

Species

Male Attacus dohertyi from Timor Attacus dohertyi m.jpg
Male Attacus dohertyi from Timor

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna moth</span> Species of insect

The luna moth, also called the American moon moth, is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly named the giant silk moths.

<i>Attacus atlas</i> Species of moth

Attacus atlas, the Atlas moth, is a large saturniid moth endemic to the forests of Asia. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturniidae</span> Family of moths

Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the 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.

<i>Eacles imperialis</i> Species of moth

Eacles imperialis, the imperial moth, is a member of the family Saturniidae and subfamily Ceratocampinae. It is found mainly in the East of South America and North America, from the center of Argentina to south Canada. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

<i>Dryocampa rubicunda</i> Species of moth

Dryocampa rubicunda, the rosy maple moth, is a small North American moth in the family Saturniidae, also known as the great silk moths. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. The species is known for its wooly body and pink and yellow coloration, which varies from cream or white to bright pink or yellow. Males have bushier antennae than females, which allow them to sense female pheromones for mating.

<i>Citheronia regalis</i> Species of moth

Citheronia regalis, the regal moth or royal walnut moth, is a North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The caterpillars are called hickory horned devils. The adult (imago) has a wingspan of 3.75–6.1 in (9.5–15.5 cm). The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian moon moth</span> Species of moth

The Malaysian moon moth is a Saturniid in the subfamily Saturniinae from Indomalaya. The male is purplish-brown and yellow, while the larger female is overall light green.

<i>Actias isis</i> Species of moth

Actias isis is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.

<i>Actias ningpoana</i> Species of moth

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saturniinae</span> Subfamily of moths

The Saturniinae or saturniines are a subfamily of the family Saturniidae, also known as giant silkmoths. 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 sized Lepidoptera, such as the luna moth, atlas moth, and many more. The Saturniinae is an important source of wild silk and human food in many different cultures.

<i>Phalaena</i> Obsolete name for a genus of moths

Phalaena is an obsolete genus of Lepidoptera used by Carl Linnaeus to house most moths.

<i>Arsenura</i> Genus of moths

Arsenura is a genus of moths in the family Saturniidae. The genus was erected by James Duncan and John O. Westwood in 1841.

<i>Rothschildia</i> Genus of moths

Rothschildia is a genus of moths in the family Saturniidae first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1896.

<i>Dysdaemonia</i> Genus of moths

Dysdaemonia is a genus of moths in the family Saturniidae first described by Jacob Hübner in 1819.

<i>Cricula</i> Genus of moths

Cricula is a genus of moths in the family Saturniidae first described by Francis Walker in 1855.

<i>Attacus taprobanis</i> Species of moth

Attacus taprobanis is a moth of family Saturniidae. It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka. This species is very similar in morphology to the much more widely distributed Attacus atlas. It was once considered a subspecies of A. atlas.

<i>Hemileuca lucina</i> Species of moth

Hemileuca lucina, the New England buck moth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae. This moth species is only found in the New England region of the United States. Larvae in early stages mainly feed on broadleaf meadowsweet whereas larvae in later stages show variation in food sources such as blackberry and black cherry leaves. Larvae have a black body with orange/black spines on their back that are used to deter predators. Pupation occurs during the summer and adult moths come out around September.

<i>Rhodinia fugax</i> Species of moth

Rhodinia fugax, the squeaking silkmoth, is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877. It is native to Korea, Japan, China, and the Russian Far East.

References

  1. "Attacus". Encyclopedia of Life.
  2. Book of Insect Records - Chapter 32: Largest Lepidopteran Wing Span
  3. Peigler, Richard S. (1989). A Revision of the Indo-Australian Genus Attacus (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Lepidoptera Research Foundation. ISBN   0961146427 . Retrieved 5 June 2018.