#uraniidae

Description The Madagascan sunset moth’s body is covered in black fur on the back and orange fur on the underside. The thorax is an iridescent blue or green and the legs and head are black with filiform antennae. The wings are iridescent red, blue, and green with the colors mixing for the full rainbow. Black patterning of spots and stripes are on all four wings with the forewings having a black edge. The hindwings themselves have a white fringe on the edge and six tails which are often broken off or damaged over time. The upper side of both wings are mostly black with a large patch by the body. Patterns on the wings can vary and some moths are asymmetrical. This can be caused by many things like temperature shock during growth.

The colors on this moth’s wings do not come from pigments, but instead are caused by the scattering of light from the wings’ scales.

Average wingspan in high altitudes: 7 cm (≈2.8 in)

Average wingspan in low altitudes: 9 cm (≈3.5 in)

On occasion a moth’s wingspan can be as large as 11 cm (≈4.3 in).

Diet and Habitat The larva feed on four types of plants from the Omphalea genus that grow only on Madagascar. These species are O. ankaranensis, O. palmata, O. occidentalis, and O. oppositifolia. The larva eat all parts of the plants from leaves, to stems, to flowers, to fruits, but they avoid the veins of the leave which have a toxic latex in them. Adult moths drink nectar and prefer white or whitish-yellow flowers especially from the Indian almond tree, tea plant, loquat, plants in the Eucalyptus genus, and common mango tree.

First believed to have come from China or Bengal, this moth is only found in Madagascar. They migrate over the island to different areas with their host plant and can be found all over the island except for the south west and extreme south where their host does not grow. This moth’s preferred habitats are deciduous forests and rain forest regions.

Mating These moths mate all year but have the highest populations in March to August and the lowest populations in October to December. The females lay their eggs late in the afternoon or at nightfall. The females will usually lay the eggs in the underside of the host plant’s leaves in groups but can on occasion lay them on top.

Average number of eggs laid in each group: 80 eggs

Predators The Omphalea genus the caterpillars feed on also attracts polistine wasps who prey on the larva. However, the caterpillars and adult moths are toxic because the Omphalea species contains polyhydroxy alkaloids, which the caterpillars gain by eating and retain as adult moths. The wings’ bring colors are a warning signal of this.

Fun Fact The Malagasy people believe the souls of the dead or of ancestors appears in the form of a lepidopteran. The Madagascan sunset moth is specifically called adriandolo or lolonandriana, from lolo for "spirit" or "butterfly" and andriana for "noble" or "king.”

Additionally, eating the silk from this moth is said to cause a euphoric high.

Another interesting fact is the Madagascan sunset moth is one of only two species in the Chrysiridia genus.