The Malaysian moon moth (''Actias maenas'') is a
Saturniid in the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Saturniinae
The Saturniinae or saturniines are a subfamily of the family Saturniidae. They are commonly known as emperor moths or wild silk moths. They are easily spotted by the eyespots on the upper surface of their wings. Some exhibit realistic eye-like ...
from
Indomalaya. The male is purplish-brown and yellow, while the larger female is overall light green.
Taxonomy
The species is considered to form a
superspecies complex that includes ''
Actias ignescens'' Moore 1877 from the Andamans, ''
Actias isis
''Actias isis'' is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.
Range
It is found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Life cycle Egg
Eggs are brown/grey, with a fine mottled pattern, ovate, approximately ...
'' (Sonthonnax 1897) from Sulawesi, and ''
Actias groenendaeli
''Actias groenendaeli'' is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Roepke in 1954. It is found in Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pa ...
'' Roepke 1954 from Flores, Timor and Sumba. ''Actias rosenbergii'' (Kaup 1895) from Ambon is of doubtful status. This species is further divided into subspecies with the
nominate from Continental Asia and ''A. m. diana'' Maassen 1872 from
Sundas and in the
Philippines.
Range
The Malaysian moon moth ranges from
Malaysia, to
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
,
Java, the Philippines, and the surrounding region in Southeast
Asia. A population in the
Western Ghats was described as a new species ''
Actias keralensis'' in 2020. This species covers a diverse set of biomes, from tropical rainforests to evergreen forests.
Life cycle
The first ''
instar'' larva is orange, with a black band surrounding the middle segments, and with a black head capsule. At the first moult, the second instar larva is green with yellow/orange tubercles, a brown head capsule, and some black markings behind the head and upon the rear claspers and anal flap. At the third instar, the dark marks behind the head capsule diminish and larvae develop fine white dot patterning across their skin.
Larvae
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
rest in a position where the anterior end of the body is held free of the substrate, such as a leaf or a stem. Males finish development a few days earlier than females in larval and pupal stages because they are smaller.
Pupae are dark brown with a transparent window area between compound eye covers. Cocoons are irregular in shape and have a papery texture. They are light brown with a glossy sheen, and have a pre-formed exit opening at the anterior end. Adults push out of their flimsy cocoons with ease. 45 minutes after emergence, wing expansion is complete. Once the forewings have completely expanded, tail expansion begins. Females fly after their wings have hardened. Females emit pheromones and mate after their first flight.
Sexual dimorphism
Adult ''Actias maenas'' exhibit striking
sexual dimorphism. Adult males are bright yellow and have purplish-brown markings, while adult females are light green in color.
[Peigler, R. S. (1984). The life-history of Actias maenas (Saturniidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 38(2), 114-123.]
References
External links
Life Cycle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Actias Maenas
Malaysian moon moth
Moths described in 1847
Moths of Asia