Argema mittrei

Madagascar Moon Moth or Giant Comet Moth

Basic Information

General information

Family: “Saturniidae”
Sub Family: “Saturniinae”
Estimated Lifespan 6 Days

Garden Specific Information

Estimated Number In Flight: 0
Total Number of Pupae Received: 26
First Flown On: 07/25/08
Last Flown On: 09/07/18

Species Range:

  • “Africa”

Host plants:

  • In the wild the larvae feed on plants in the genua Eugenia and Weinmannia. In captivity they have also be reared successfully on other plants such as Eucalyptus gunnii and Liquidamber.

Food Source

As adults the Madagascar Moon Moths do not have functioning mouth parts, so they will not feed.

Etymology Of Name

The origin of the genus and species is currently unknown.

Habitat

The Madagascar Moon Moth is found in the rainforest and the surrounding areas.

Life history

At night females release a pheromone into the air. Males flying through the air sense the pheromone and follow it back to the female. The female and male, in some cases, can remain copulated until the next night. Each following night the female searches out host plants on which to lay her eggs.

Flights

The flight period of the wild Madagascar Moon Moth was not found in the literature at this time.

Fun Facts

Madagascar Moon Moths are sexually dimorphic with males being much larger than the females. The female Atlas Moths (Attacus atlas) are considered the largest moth in the world based on surface area but the male Madagascar Moon Moth is considered the longest moth primarily due to its long tails.