Atlas Moth Rendezvous With The Gladiator Butterfly At Midnight is a photograph by Leslie Crotty which was uploaded on November 5th, 2014.
Atlas Moth Rendezvous With The Gladiator Butterfly At Midnight
THE ATLAS MOTH SEEN IN THIS PHOTO ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE SNAKEHEAD MOTH IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE LARGEST WING SURFACE OF ALL BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS,... more
Title
Atlas Moth Rendezvous With The Gladiator Butterfly At Midnight
Artist
Leslie Crotty
Medium
Photograph
Description
THE ATLAS MOTH SEEN IN THIS PHOTO ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE SNAKEHEAD MOTH IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE "LARGEST WING SURFACE" OF ALL BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS, REACHING 12" WITH A SURFACE AREA OF 62 SQUARE INCHES. IT IS A NATIVE OF SOUTH EASTERN ASIAN COUNTRIES OF INDIA, MAINLY IN THE JUNGLES OF MALAYSIA. IN CHINA, THE CANTONESE NAME FOR THE MOTH TRANSLATES INTO "SNAKE'S HEAD MOTH", WHICH CAN BE SEEN CLEARLY IN EVERY PHOTO OF AN ATLAS MOTH. TO TRUELY APPRECIATE ITS BEAUTY AND SIZE ONE HAS TO SEE THEM UP CLOSE AS I HAVE. THEY HAVE NO MOUTHS AND DON'T EAT ONCE EMERGING FROM THEIR COCOONS, RELYING ON FAT STORAGE FROM THEIR IMMATURE STAGES OF LIFE. AFTER SPENDING ABOUT A MONTH IN THEIR COCOONS THE ATLAS MOTH EMERGES AS THE BEAUTIFUL CREATURE YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PHOTO. UNFORTUNATELY THIS STATE IS SHORT LIVED AS THE ADULT MOTHS TYPICALLY "DIE" WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO OF SPREADING THEIR WINGS. THE GLADIATOR BUTTERFLY ALSO KNOWN AS HYPOLOMNAS DEXITHEA PICTURED NEXT TO HIM IS A NATIVE TO MADAGASCAR AND WINGSPAN IS ONLY FOUR INCHES. IT HAS BLACK AND WHITE FOREWINGS , A LIGHT BLUE STRIPE EMANATES FROM THE BODY TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREWING. IT HAS A RED OR ORANGE BORDERED HIND WINGS WITH A WHITE DOT IN THE MIDDLE. BOTH SETS OF WINGS ARE BORDERED IN BLACK AND WHITE. ITS WINGSHAPE IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE, WITH A SPIKED PATTERN ALL AROUND. ALONG THE MARGIN IS A ROW OF SMALLWHITE DOTS. DUE TO ITS BRIGHT COLORS THIS SPECIES WAS TARGETED BY COLLECTORS SOON AFTER ITS DISCOVERY. THEY ARE STILL COLLECTED TODAY, ABOUT $50.00 TO $100.00 PER SPECIMEN, DEPENDING ON QUALITY. SIMPLY, ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL CREATURE GOD HAS MADE FOR ALL OF US TO ADMIRE AND ENJOY. LESLIE F. CROTTY
Uploaded
November 5th, 2014