The 4th through 11th somites have dorsal and subdorsal blueish green scoli (branched, thickened spines protruding from the body) and black lateral scoli below the spiracles (Bhawane et al, 2011). The 1st, 2nd and 3rd somites have dorsal protrusions (Bhawane et al, 2011 Hampson, 1892). The body length varies from 8 to 10 mm in the first instar to 88 to 92 mm of the fifth and sixth instars (Bhawane et al., 2011). The first two instars have darker heads and body coloration between the scoli. There is a white waxy substance on the dorsal side of the larval body which begins developing in the 2nd instar (Bhawane et al., 2011). The larvae are pale green with orange or brownish speckles and a bright orange ring on the anal somite (Bhawane et al, 2011 Hampson, 1892 Peigler, 1983). They are covered in a gummy substance used for attachment to each other and the leaves (Sathe and Kavane, 2014) The size ranges from 2.7 to 3 mm in length and 2.1 to 2.7 mm in width (Bhawane et al, 2011).
The eggs are yellowish white to pale yellow and are oval and flattened consistent with all moths in the family Saturniidae (Bhawane et al, 2011). atlas than in Attacus mcmulleni, which bear similar resemblance (Peigler, 1983).
Attacus by the presence of a patch of yellow or orange above and below the red dash in conjunction with a prominent white component of the postmedian and antemedian lines (Peigler, 1983). The body is reddish to orangish brown and can vary in shade (Hampson, 1892).Īttacus atlas is distinguishable from other similar moth species in the genus g. The antennae measure 23 to 39 mm long and 10 to 13 mm wide in males and 17 to 21 mm long and 3 mm wide in females (Bhawane et al, 2011). They have two yellowish brown bipectinate antennae, meaning the antennae are comb-like on both sides (Hampson 1892). The mouthparts of the adult are non-functioning, with some parts disfigured or completely absent (Britannica 2013). The undersides of the wings are pattered the same as dorsal sides but may be paler in color. The protrusions and edges of the wings resemble the head and body of a snake (Hampson, 1892 Peigler 1983). The base of the wing is colored deep orange, soft brown, or deep reddish brown and is patterned with white, black, brown, and pink coloration, with a large white triangular hyaline spot in the center of each wing (Hampson, 1892 Peigler 1983). The shape of the wings is rounded, with the forewing having a protrusion from the anterior distal edge. The wingspan is among the top five largest moths in the world. In females the forewing is 93 to 131 mm long (mean of 119 mm) and the hindwing is 76 to 101 mm long (Peigler 1983). The forewing in males is 73 to 125 mm long with a mean of 102 mm, and the hindwing is about 48 to 72 mm long with a mean of 69 mm (Peigler 1983). The body length of Attacus atlas was determined under lab reared conditions to be 39 to 40 mm in females and 30 to 36 mm in males and the wingspan ranged from 240 to 250 mm in females and from 210 to 230 mm in males (Bhawane et al, 2011). The female atlas moths are larger than the males. ( "Attacus atlas (atlas moth)", 2020 Peigler, 1983) atlas is widely considered to occupy habitats of elevations from sea level to 1500 to 2000 m. No formal studies have been conducted to investigate the range of elevation, though A. The moths spend the majority of their lives on a single tree: laid on the leaves as eggs, eating the leaves as larvae, pupating off the branches, and resting in wait for a male mate as an adult female (CAB International, 2020a). They are characterized by closed canopies, broad-leafed evergreen trees, and temperatures approaching but not exceeding 25☌. These forests do not have four seasons, but rather a dry and a wet season. ( "Attacus atlas (atlas moth)", 2020 "Species Page | atlas moth | Attacus atlas", 2020 Peigler, 1983)Īttacus atlas is primarily found in tropical and subtropical rainforests (Peigler, 1983). atlas is from about 79☎ to 121☎ in longitude and about 35°N to about 5°S in latitude (CAB International, 2020b). There are localized populations reported in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and northern India (CAB International, 2020a Peigler 1983).
They are also widely distributed in Indonesia and Brunei (CAB International, 2020a). Atlas moths ( Attacus atlas) are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, including in Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, southeastern China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Taiwan (CAB International, 2020b Peigler, 1983).