AS IS STRAIGHT FROM THE CAMERA PANASONIC LUMIX FZ 7 IN COMBINE WITH A LUMIX TELE CONVERSION LENS :DMW-LT 55

THIS PHOTO IS MADE IN THE BUTTERFLY VALLEY IN THE NETHERLANDS

THE MALE ON THE LEFT IS SMALLER BUT THE COMET WINGS ARE LONGER
THAN THE FEMALE THAT HAS A LAGER BODY FOR PRODUCING THE EGS
The Comet moth (Argema mittrei), a large silk moth, is found only in the wild in certain parts of Madagascar but is able to be breed in captivity. In Madagascar are a few breeding areas and there are a few zoos that attempt breeding too. Some of them are quite successful.

The Madagascan Moon Moth or Comet Moth is one of the world’s biggest, the male has a wing span of twenty centimeters and a tail span of fifteen centimeters. As a Moth they only live for 4 or 5 days and they are only fertile the first day after getting out of the cocoon. The cocoon has holes in it to keep the future moth from drowning in it’s rainforest climate.

As a caterpillar they feed on eucalyptus leaves (only fresh ones, which makes it harder to breed them in captivity) and grow to a reasonable size before getting in the cocoon. They stay in there for about two to six months depending on the climate.

This particular type of moth only lives in Madagascar of the south coast of Africa. It is an endangered species.