Atlas moth

The moth with wings bigger than your hand

The atlas moth is one of the biggest moths in the world: its wingspan is 25 cm, like two adult hands! The wing tips have a pattern like a snake's head — to scare off enemies. Most amazing of all, the adult moth has no mouth: it never eats and lives only about a week, flying on the energy it stored as a caterpillar.

The atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is a saturniid moth of Southeast Asian rainforests; it has the largest wing area of any moth (400 cm²) with a span of 25–30 cm. Its wing tips mimic a snake's (cobra's) head. The adult has no working mouthparts — it lives 1–2 weeks on reserves built up as a caterpillar, only to reproduce. A male can smell a female's pheromone 2 km away. Caterpillars reach 12 cm and eat citrus and cinnamon leaves; the tough cocoon yields 'fagara silk' in India and was made into purses in Taiwan. Widespread in the wild, though affected by deforestation.

Fun facts

• An adult atlas moth has no mouth — it never eats.
• The pattern on its wing tips looks like a cobra's head.
• A male can smell a female 2 km away.