African Moon Moth

Argema mimosae

The African moon moth is a giant silk moth of the Family Saturniidae. Similar in appearance to the giant Madagascan moon moth, but smaller, this moth can be found widely in Eastern Africa and more locally in Southern Africa, including near the east coast of South Africa.
African Moon Moth Taken at the Tucson Botanical Gardens Butterfly Exhibit 2014 African Moon Moth,Argema mimosae,Moth Week 2018

Appearance

Emerald green with yellow and red eyespots on wings. Long tail and hindwing.
Larva are green with thin white bands and rows of long projections on back. The cocoons are silvery and pitted with small holes.

An adult can measure 10 to 12 centimetres across its wingspan and 12 to 14 centimetres from head to the tip of its elongated 'tail-like' second pair of wings. Its forward wings have a distinctive grey-coloured 'furry' leading edge, giving a very rough surface, presumably for aerodynamic reasons. Apart from the eye-like markings on its wings, the colouring and shape of the wings give the appearance of a piece of foliage, especially the 'tail-like' structures of the rearmost wings which resemble a dried out leaf stem - presumably for camouflage in its natural environment.
African Moon Moth #2 Second image of Moon moth from a frontal angle showing the feelers. African Moon Moth,Argema mimosae

Behavior

Larvae feed on corkwood, marula and tamboti

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilySaturniidae
GenusArgema
SpeciesA. mimosae
Photographed in
United States of America