Madagascar Sunset Moth

Nature 2 Minutes

Madagascar sunset moths (Chrysiridia rhipheus) are brightly colored moths native only to the island of Madagascar. Their unique beauty makes them a favorite of traditional jewelry makers and artists who use the moths’ iridescent wings to create works of art. In addition to their beauty, there are several aspects that set Madagascar sunset moths apart from other moths.

Behavior

Madagascar sunset moths are diurnal, meaning, unlike most moths, they are active during the day. This habit, as well as the bright colors and shape of their wings, causes them to frequently be mistaken for swallowtail butterflies. During the daylight hours they can be seen flitting from one flower to another feeding on nectar. As adults, they show a strong preference for white flowers, although not for specific plants.

Larvae

They caterpillars, or larvae, of Madagascar sunset moths are much more picky in their feeding habits. They will only eat plants from the family Omphalea, which are toxic to most animals. They hatch from eggs laid only on the underside of the leaves of these plants. Upon hatching they consume the entire plant — leaves, flowers and stems. Once that plant is decimated they move on to another of the same family. These caterpillars are easy to distinguish, as their bodies are white or shades of light yellow with black spots, and they have bright red feet.

Defense

Madagascar sunset moths have only one means of defense — they are poisonous. The toxins contained in the Omphalea plants are eaten by the caterpillars but not digested. Instead these toxins remain in their bodies through pupation and into adulthood. The result is a moth that is toxic to most predators. Their brightly colored wings may serve as a warning predators to leave them alone or suffer the consequences.

Description

By far the most noticeable distinguishing characteristic of Madagascar sunset moths is their appearance. They are large moths, boasting a wingspan of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. It’s their wings that really get them noticed. They are iridescent and appear to be in shades of black, red, green and blue. Every time the moths move their wings, the colors and patterns shift, creating a kaleidoscope effect. It’s really just an optical illusion, though. Most of the of the moths’ wings contain no pigment at all, and in subdued light they appear bland and unremarkable. The flashy colors are created by the curvature of the scales on their wings that reflect light in different angles, giving the appearance of color.

SOURCE: PETS on MOM

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Published by pat frederick

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254 thoughts on “Madagascar Sunset Moth”

          1. Some cats can be but, in general, they are pretty fickle. Jake, as an example, is fine with women but he does NOT like men at all! Even after my GS had been here for a couple of weeks, he was still wary. Probably a bad encounter with a man at some point in his previous life.

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          1. Mine doesn’t either! It’s incredibly fancy and complicated for me but soooo far out of date by now and it’s just a small, pocket-sized digital camera.

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  7. “Wow! Art in steel”

    “The cat-like aliens were careful to park their spaceship in the garage for safe-keeping!”

    “BMW Bus…Who’d a Thunk it??”

    “Choppers over the Thames”

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  9. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

  13. Was walking the dog and my neighbor called me over. He was trying to get his horse into a trailer and well she had other ideas.

    So I can add horse mover to things I can do, took three people to get her inside. LOL

    Yup moved a 900 pound horse.

    Vet check. The horse had other ideas.

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      1. LOL the horse thinks otherwise.

        Moms the same. Another test in two weeks. They are sooooooo backed up.

        Puppy is great. Chased a few deer and squirrels the other day.

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        1. well, our heat pump decided to overheat–so we shut it off (via the thermostat). it decided it had the power t override us and that…still was running and getting hotter and hotter! so we flipped the circuit breakers and called the repair guys. they will “probably” get here MONDAY. thank goodness it’s warmer today, but we’re expecting snow this week

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            1. yeah…we use it a lot in the summer for the air conditioning. in the winter it’s a supplemental to the woodstove. but when hubby was in the hospital and then about 2 weeks after he got home, we ran the electric heat…now we’re using the woodstove again so it’s not unbearable.

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  16. The neighbors who are South American were like you’re taking the horse to Columbia?

    He’s like yes Columbia MO 

    They like Oh that’s so much better.

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    1. LOVES THESE!!

      we’re actually watching MASH right now–we’re finally at season 11 i think…so not much more.

      they do get a little “preachy” as they get further into the series tho

      at least in my opinion

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  33. The bees collect the pollen-sized seed dust particles and yeast that are found in the cracked corn and other seeds we set out for our little feathered friend for which, I’m sure, the bees are extremely grateful. The bees will move on to their preferred food sources as spring flowers begin to appear.

    https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/hungry_honey_bees_visiting_bird_feeders#:~:text=The%20bees%20collect%20the%20pollen,spring%20flowers%20begin%20to%20appear.

    https://www.homesweetbees.com/beekeeping/2022/2/19/bees-in-bird-feeders

    I had all these bees at my feeder and thought this was cool. Feeding another one.

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