The Hercules Moth is one of the largest moths in the entire world, with a wingspan of up to 27cm! While they Atlas Moth of South East Asia has then just slightly beat in the wingspan category, the Hercules does take the size award in its native tropical habitats in New Guinea and Northern Australia. The
largest Hercules Moth ever found was 36cm (14.17in) across! Males are
slightly smaller than the females, but their tails tend to be longer and their coloration is more vibrant.
Hercules Moth caterpillars can grow quite large as well, with some measuring 12cm in length. They are bluish green in color, and have false else that are intended to distract and confuse predators. Caterpillars are hearty eaters, with one of their favorite plants being the
bleeding heart tree. They only actually consume
6-8 species of plant, despite living in dense and varied rainforest habitats.
As adults, Hercules moths live short lives. Females emerge from the chrysalis
without mouths, so they cannot feed. They only live as long as their food reserves allow, typically 4-5 days. In this time she finds a mate using pheromones, locates a good food source to lay her 80-100 eggs upon, and then dies. Tragic! Males don't do much better. They too are unable to feed, and the goal of their short life is to find a lady moth, mate, and then die.
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