Comet moth
The comet moth is a huge moth from the rainforests of Madagascar. Its back wings end in two very long tails, like the tail of a comet. It is one of the biggest silk moths in the world.
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Fun facts
A male's tails are about 15 centimetres long.
Its wings soak up the sound that bats use to find their food, so bats have a hard time hearing it.
If a bat does attack, it may grab only a tail, and the moth can fly away.
Its silk cocoon is full of little holes, probably so rainwater can drain out and the moth inside does not drown.
The male finds a female by smelling her with his wide, feathery feelers.
Most asked questions about Comet moth
?How big is the comet moth?
A male's wings measure about 20 centimetres from tip to tip, with tails about 15 centimetres long.
?How long does a comet moth live?
Only about a week as a grown-up moth, because it cannot eat.
?Where does the comet moth live?
Only in the rainforests of Madagascar, but people also raise them.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Argema mittrei
- Named by
- Guérin-Méneville, 1847
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Saturniidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Saturniidae
- Lives on
- Africa
- Also known as
- Madagascan moon moth
Where the facts come from
- Comet moth (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Lsadonkey. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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