The comet moth or Madagascan moon moth (''Argema mittrei''). is a moth native to the

rain forest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...

s of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. The species was first described by

Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville, also known as F. E. Guerin, (12 October 1799, in Toulon – 26 January 1874, in Paris) was a French entomologist. Life and work Guérin-Méneville changed his surname from Guérin in 1836. He was the author of ...

in 1847. The adult moth cannot feed and only lives for 4 to 5 days. Although endangered in the wild due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, the comet moth has been bred in captivity.

Physical features

There are physical differences among females and males. Females have more rounded wings. The male has a wingspan of 20 cm (7.9 inches) and a tail span of 15 cm (5.9 inches), making it one of the world's largest

silk moths Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and g ...

. The males have a long, feathery antennas and the females have thin antennas. ''Argema mittrei'' wings have large eyespot, giving the appearance of a large and dangerous creature that should not be attacked.

Host plants

Host plants include the genus

Eugenia ''Eugenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,100 species occur in the New World tropics, ...

and

Weinmannia ''Weinmannia'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Cunoniaceae. It is the largest genus of the family with about 150 species. It is also the most widespread genus, occurring in Central and South America including the Caribbean, Madagasc ...

, as well as

Eucalyptus gunnii ''Eucalyptus gunnii'', commonly known as cider gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree endemic to the island of Tasmania, Australia. It has mostly smooth bark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, whi ...

and

Liquidambar ''Liquidambar'', commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae ...

. Other host plants they are reared to are Eugenia cuneifolia,

Sclerocarya birrea ''Sclerocarya birrea'' ( grc, σκληρός , "hard", and , "nut", in reference to the stone inside the fleshy fruit), commonly known as the marula, is a medium-sized deciduous fruit-bearing tree, indigenous to the miombo woodlands of Sout ...

, Weinmania eriocampa,

Rhus cotinus ''Cotinus coggygria'', syn. ''Rhus cotinus'', the European smoketree, Eurasian smoketree, smoke tree, smoke bush, Venetian sumach, or dyer's sumach, is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. Description It is a multi ...

Schinus terebinthifolia ''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...

, and

Schinus molle ''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish s ...

. Additional host plants are ''

Cotinus coggygria ''Cotinus coggygria'', syn. ''Rhus cotinus'', the European smoketree, Eurasian smoketree, smoke tree, smoke bush, Venetian sumach, or dyer's sumach, is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. Description It is a multi ...

'', ''

Malosma laurina ''Malosma'' is a plant genus which contains only a single species, ''Malosma laurina'', with the common names laurel sumac and lentisco (Spanish).Integrated Taxonomic Information System (2007)''Malosma'' retrieved June 10, 2007. ''Malosma laurin ...

'', ''

Pistacia terebinthus ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus ''Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and s ...

'', ''

Pistacia lentiscus ''Pistacia lentiscus'' (also lentisk or mastic) is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus ''Pistacia'' native to the Mediterranean Basin. It grows up to tall and is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek islan ...

'', ''

Rhus copallinum ''Rhus copallinum'' (''Rhus copallina'' is also used but, this is not consistent with the rules of the International Association for Plant Taxonomy), the winged sumac, shining sumac, dwarf sumac or flameleaf sumac, is a species of flowering pl ...

'', ''

Rhus typhina ''Rhus typhina'', the staghorn sumac, is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae, native to eastern North America. It is primarily found in southeastern Canada, the northeastern and midwestern United States, and the Appalachian M ...

'', ''

Schinus terebinthifolius ''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...

'', ''

Toxicodendron pubescens ''Toxicodendron pubescens'' (syn. ''Rhus pubescens''), commonly known as Atlantic poison oak, is an upright shrub that can grow to 1 metre (3 feet) tall. Its leaves are 15 centimetres (6 inches) long, alternate, with three le ...

'', ''

Mimosa ''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 590 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word (''mimos''), an "actor" or "mime", and the feminine suffix -''osa'', "resembl ...

'' species and ''

Liquidambar styraciflua American sweetgum (''Liquidambar styraciflua''), also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temper ...

''.

Cocoon

The adult moth lays 100 to 150 eggs. The caterpillar has the unique ability to spin a silk cocoon. The pupa is a life stage where some insects undergo transformation between immature and mature stages.

Pupa

The pupa is enclosed in a grayish-white cocoon that resembles a sac. The cocoon has drainage holes so rainwater can escape.

Silk production

''Argema mittrei'' produces natural silk cocoons. For ''Argema mittrei'', the cocoon has a silvery color with a rough and compact opening at one end.

Ultrasound

Moths and

bats Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

have been in a coevolutionary arms race due to bats developing echolocation. However, moths have developed methods to avoid detection from the echolocation cries of bats and to promote survival once detected. For ''Argema mittrei'', they have the ability to use ultrasound absorption so that the bat will receive a dampened echo, making the moth invisible to the bat. Using ultrasound absorption is ''Argema mittrei'' main defensive function. It also has other defensive roles such as crypsis, aposematism, or mimicry. It also has a striking long, red and yellow tail which is used in defense against attackers.

Gallery

File:Argema mittrei 02.JPG, Head of comet moth File:Komeetstaartvlinder 04.JPG, Adult on cocoon File:Argema mittrei (caterpillar).jpg, Caterpillar File:Argema mittrei (eggs).jpg, Cocoons and eggs

References

{{Taxonbar , from=Q2216327 Saturniinae Wild silk Endemic fauna of Madagascar Lepidoptera of Madagascar Moths of Madagascar Moths of Africa