MADAGASCAN SUNSET MOTH (Chrysiridia rhipheus)
©InsaneShelton/Jennifer Shelton
The Madagascan sunset moth or simply sunset moth, is a day-flying moth. It is considered to be one of the most impressive and beautiful Lepidoptera. Famous worldwide, it is featured in most coffee table books on the order and is much sought after by collectors.It is very colourful, though the iridescent parts of the wings do not have pigment; rather the colours originate from optical interference. Adult moths have a wingspan of 7–9 centimetres (3–3½ in).
The leaves of the Omphalea tree, which make up a large portion of their diet, are toxic: the toxins are ingested by the feeding caterpillar and retained in the pupal and adult stages. Thousands of these moths migrate between the eastern and western ranges of their host plants
Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysiridia_rhipheus
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I hope collectors only collect them when they’ve passed away…I think it would be sick to kill something to put it on a...
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MADAGASCAN SUNSET MOTH (Chrysiridia rhipheus)
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