Underappreciated Giant Silk Moths

People tend to like watching flutterbyes — I mean, butterflies — as they flutter by. Or maybe you like to look at one after it's come to rest and admire the colors. But there's a cousin to it that doesn't get as much attention, and that's the moth. Sure, we know about the drab night things going after outdoor illumination and such in the summer, but there are some startlingly colorful (and often quite big) critters known as giant silk moths.

Luna moth image credit: US National Park Service (use does not imply endorsement of this site)

Let's get one thing out of the way. The word silk doesn't exactly refer to their delicate wings, but rather, to the fact that their cocoons are used in making silk clothing. You guessed it, the silkworm grows up to be the domesticated silk moth, Bombyx mori.

Advocates of molecules-to-moth evolution tend to be looking for function in everything, so they puzzle and puzzle 'till their puzzlers are sore as to why and to what purpose giant silk worms are sporting such brilliant colors. It's not so they can fly into town on a weekend and do some courting, because they're nocturnal, and the colors don't figure into mating. Here's a thought: they were designed by their Creator, and did not evolve. Add to that, the Creator likes beauty, and has spread it all around for our benefit.

I’m a butterfly farmer. That statement, by itself, arouses people’s curiosity. They assume I must really love butterflies, and they’re right. I’m often asked which types of butterflies are my personal favorites, but that’s a hard question. People are usually surprised when I answer, “It’s actually not a butterfly, but the giant silk moth.”

I have always had a natural love for all butterflies and moths, but there is something special about this family of gentle and unassuming moths. Most people have never heard of them, let alone seen one up close. Flying mostly at night, they are hard to find, and this may be one reason they are so underappreciated. Yet these moths are some of the most unique and beautiful insects known to man.

The family of giant silk moths, or Saturniidae as they are known in the scientific community, includes the largest—and arguably most beautiful—moths in the world. Like all other moths and butterflies, they share unique designs that enable these delicate insects to fly with amazing ease.

To read the rest, click on "Giant Silk Moths—Butterflies’ Unsung Rivals". And you might want to check out the short video of the Atlas moth, below. Note what looks like a cobra's head design on the wings.