Sent when ready from February. Giant atlas moths simply have to be seen to be believed! Majestic and magnificent, they can easily be mistaken for birds in their native habitat, and attacus atlas is certainly one of the largest examples of any butterfly or moth on the planet. The larvae are polyphagous in the wild and seem to enjoy switching foods, often wandering from one food source to another. They do very well on privet in captivity and take a variety of fruit trees. All stages of the life-cycle require warmth and humidity and the larvae need both of these conditions and ventilation.
Larval foodplants: privet (ligustrum), willow (salix), lilac (syringia), apple (malus), plum (prunus) and many others.
Rearing: plastic boxes, vivariums and cages.
Photographs: egg pair x 20 magnification; newly hatched larvae x 20 magnification; second instar larvae feeding; adult female at rest (wings closed); adult female at rest (wings open).
