Coscinocera hercules
Coscinocera hercules, the Hercules moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae, endemic to New Guinea and northern Australia. The species was first described by William Henry Miskin in 1876. It has a wingspan of 27 centimetres (11 in), making it the largest moth found in Australia, and its wings have the largest documented surface area (300 square centimeters) of any living insect.[1][2] The larvae of this moth feed on Polyscias elegans, Glochidion ferdinandi, Dysoxylum muelleri, Prunus serotina, Timonius rumphii, but also eat other plants in captivity.
Female
Larva
| Coscinocera hercules | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mounted male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Genus: | Coscinocera |
| Species: | C. hercules |
| Binomial name | |
| Coscinocera hercules Miskin, 1876 | |
References
- Robert G. Foottit & Peter H. Adler. 2009. Insect Biodiversity: Science and Society. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-405-15142-9
- Rainier Flindt. 2006. Amazing Numbers in Biology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. ISBN 3-540-30146-1
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