Like 20 years ago when I lived out in the country I found a huge cocoon on my back door one day. I left it alone and the very next day one of these was next to it.
Freaked me out because I had never seen a moth so big and colorful. I let climb on my hand and took it off the back porch and it immediately flew away.
It looked like a slow bat flying into the distance. Never will forget that.
There were giant moths at this summer camp I worked at when I was younger. If you put your finger in front of them like a bird, they would crawl onto your finger and then you could put them on your shoulder like a parrot. I walked around all night once with one of them perched on my shoulder like it was my familiar. It's a fond memory.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an entomologist. My folks were out one day, and caught one of these moths in the middle of laying her eggs. They brought a bunch of the eggs home, and set up a big aquarium for me and placed the eggs inside with everything they'd need. Out of probably 40+ eggs, 5 wound up surviving and making it into adulthood. But I still remember being amazed at the size and color of the adults. Biggest I had ever seen. Thank you for the nostalgic walk down memory lane.
Like 20 years ago when I lived out in the country I found a huge cocoon on my back door one day. I left it alone and the very next day one of these was next to it.
Freaked me out because I had never seen a moth so big and colorful. I let climb on my hand and took it off the back porch and it immediately flew away.
It looked like a slow bat flying into the distance. Never will forget that.
How large was it IRL?
Cecropia moth on a hand, and check out the size and color of the easily distinguishable caterpillars that they come from.
I kept a few of the caterpillars in tanks as a kid, fed them leaves, and once they had metamorphosized, released them back into the wild.
JEEBUS! This was the comment I was looking for! The size of them ‘pillars is Heeeuuuge!!
Thankie
Wow! We should see these more often. They're beautiful
There were giant moths at this summer camp I worked at when I was younger. If you put your finger in front of them like a bird, they would crawl onto your finger and then you could put them on your shoulder like a parrot. I walked around all night once with one of them perched on my shoulder like it was my familiar. It's a fond memory.
So fluffy
Chubby and stunning little guys! Thanks for sharing.
Gorgeous!
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an entomologist. My folks were out one day, and caught one of these moths in the middle of laying her eggs. They brought a bunch of the eggs home, and set up a big aquarium for me and placed the eggs inside with everything they'd need. Out of probably 40+ eggs, 5 wound up surviving and making it into adulthood. But I still remember being amazed at the size and color of the adults. Biggest I had ever seen. Thank you for the nostalgic walk down memory lane.
They almost look like needle felted sculptures.
Can someone explain how it doesn't immediately get eaten by a bird? Is it poisonous?
Eye spots on the wings, only living for about 10 days in the adult stage
Beautiful and as someone who is afraid of bugs also deeply disturbing. But pretty.
Banana? Hand? Something for scale?
Need a banana for size reference
I simultaneously want to hold one, yet also never want one within 100 feet of me.