The subcontinent of India is home to many curiosities of the natural
world. Of the vast variety of insects, some have not even been discovered,
others have not been studied comprehensively.
Wide wing-span
Moths and butterflies comprise one of the largest orders of insects. With
a few exceptions, moths are largely nocturnal insects. Among the better-known
moths, the Atlas moth is the largest insect, in terms of wing area. A
female Atlas moth may measure over 30 cm in wing-span. This means the
measurement from one wing tip to the other when the wings are spread out
on the sides.
In Burma, where this moth is more abundant than in India, local people
call it see lipia or Elephant moth. It is so named not only for its great
size but also for its powerful flight, usually at the level of tree-tops.
In flight, the moth is easily mistaken for a small bird.
Atlas moths are a magnificent gold and purple-brown in colour. The wings
have huge eye-shaped designs at the centre which scare off predators when
the wings are opened suddenly. The upper tip of the forewing is reminiscent
of a snake's head This feature is found in related species throughout
the tropical world.
Homing in A characteristic feature of these moths is their
antennae. The antennae of male moths are feathery, while those of
females are not as feathery. The antennae play an important role in
attracting the male to the female.
Female Atlas moths release a stimulating (to males of the same species)
scent, called "pheromone".
Male moths, with the help of their antennae, are able to detect the
tiny quantity of scent released by a female several kilometres away.
They home in on the female by comparing the quantity of molecules
striking each antennae which leads them to the source of the scent.
Males that have lost one antenna are greatly handicapped in locating
the female, and those that have lost both, do not stand a chance.
In insects, the female is usually larger, since she has the task of
carrying the eggs that will become the next generation. Females of
some moth species carry over 500 eggs in their body. It is the female
whose gumption ensures the survival of the young ones. She lays her
eggs on a suitable plant so that the little caterpillars can begin
feeding on its leaves soon after they hatch out. The female moth also
makes sure that her eggs are in an inconspicuous place, out of reach
of hungry predators who make a meal of them even before they have
emerged.
Flying for food
Atlas moths live in humid forests over the greater part of the Indian
subcontinent. Atlas moths feed on a wide range of food plants--over
twenty different shrubs and trees. During the course of their short
lifespan Atlas moths travel quite far in search of their foodplants.
In the Himalaya, they fly up to an elevation of 1600m, and in the
Nilgiris up to an elevation of 1500 m, where high foodplants grow.
With the rapid destruction of humid forests, which are their home,
Atlas moths are in danger. The Indian subcontinent would certainly
be poorer with the loss of one of its unique jungle denizens.