Who knew moths this big even existed?

The Atlas moth (Attacus Atlas) is is a large moth found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, southern China, common across the Malay archipelago, Thailand to Indonesia.

These moths are considered the largest in the world in terms of total wing surface area (65 square inches). In Hong Kong the Cantonese name translates as “snake’s head moth“, referring to apical extension of the forewing, which bears a passing resemblance to a snake’s head.

Another interesting characteristic of the Atlas moth is that it doesn’t have fully developed mouth-parts, so it can’t feed…ever. It survives on the larval fat reserves, throughout their entire 1-2 weeks adult lives.

Photo: Maghdp/Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Nevit Dilmen/London Zoo