While some people hate and even fear moths I find them rather amazing and would like to try and change peoples views on these unusual creatures. By bringing you a small selection of the wide diversity of moths I will show you some of the most amazing, unusual and of course beautiful moths you will ever see…
Atlas Moth – Attacus Atlas
Atlas Moth – Attacus Atlas
This is the largest moth species in the world and its wingspan can reach 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) across. But oddly it is not the moth with the biggest wingspan. Its title of the worlds biggest is based on its overall size and weight.
White Witch Moth – Thysania Agrippina
White Witch Moth – Thysania Agrippina
If you are wondering what moth has the largest wingspan you are looking at it. With a wingspan that can reach up to 32 cm, it is slightly longer in wingspan when compared to the Atlas Moth, but it is not as big in terms of weight and overall size.
Hornet Moth – Sesia Apiformis
Hornet Moth – Sesia Apiformis
This might look like a wasp or a hornet but if you look closely it doesn’t have a stinger and that is because this is a completely innocuous moth. What is odd is that it even has the same jerky flight pattern of a hornet making its mimicry even more realistic.
Hummingbird Hawk-Moth – Macroglossum Stellatarum
Hummingbird Hawk-Moth – Macroglossum Stellatarum
I have been lucky enough to have seen this moth in the wild with my own eyes and let me tell you it looked just like a hummingbird, apart from it wasn’t making as much noise from the beat of its wings, but it still had an audible hum.
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Rosy Maple Moth – Dryocampa Rubicunda
Rosy Maple Moth – Dryocampa Rubicunda
There isn’t a moth in the world that looks sweeter than this one. With colours that make it look like candy floss it is a great silk moth that is one of the smallest species in North America.
The Arctiine Moth – Creatonotos Gangis
The Arctiine Moth – Creatonotos Gangis
There are many moths that have tailed tentacles, but none that look as sci-fi as this one. You would imagine seeing this moth in an Avitar film rather than the back gardens of South East Asia and Australia.
Venezuelan Poodle Moth – Bombyx mori
Venezuelan Poodle Moth – Bombyx mori
This photo might look like a fake, but in reality, it is just an unusually large silkmoth found in Venezuela. Most domestic silkmoths are closely dependent on humans for reproduction, but this one was caught in the wild making it rather unusual.
The Midget Moth – Nepticulidae
The Midget Moth – Nepticulidae
You have probably seen some pretty small moths in your own home, but this one is just 3.5–10 mm fully grown and is characterised by eyecaps over its eyes. Basically, it is half the width of your smallest fingernail which is pretty tiny.
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The Cecropia Moth – Hyalophora Cecropia
The Cecropia Moth – Hyalophora Cecropia
While its wings are coloured to blend in with its surroundings it is the moths large antenna that really makes it stand out. This is one of North America’s largest native moths and only lives for a few weeks due to its lack of digestive system!
Death’s-Head Hawkmoth – Acherontia
Death’s-Head Hawkmoth – Acherontia
If you have ever watched the movie The Silence of the Lambs you will know what this is straight away thanks to the rather exotic movie posters that featured it. And yes, it really does have a skull on its back. But they are more known in Lepidopterists circles because they are known to attack colonies of honey bees as they can move about in hives freely without being disturbed because they mimic the scent of the bees themselves.
Sources Used…
- https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Acherontia_lachesis.jpg
- https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/cecropia-moth-largest-moth-north-america
- https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/9jwloa/the_creatonotos_gangis_is_a_species_of_arctiine/
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/535154368191928875/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaibara/3642127084
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/335236766003594669/?lp=true
- https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1151905