Summary
Hercules Moths are tropical moths found in New Guinea and the north of Queensland, Australia. They are the largest moth in Australia with a wingspan of up to 27 cm. The females hold the world record for the largest wing surface area of any moth.
Adult moths are predominantly brown with a white stripe and transparent patches on the wings. Males are slightly darker and smaller than females and their hindwings have long tails. Males also have large feathery antennae to sense pheromones released by the females. Caterpillars grow up to 10cm long and are bright blue before they pupate. Adults emerge between January and April. They do not feed and their short life span is devoted to reproducing.
Specimen Details
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Collection Names
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Taxon Name
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Author and date of publication
Miskin, 1876
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Preferred Common name
Hercules Moth
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Number Of Specimens
1
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Sex
Male
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Stage Or Age
adult
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Specimen Nature
Form: pinned
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Category
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Scientific Group
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Discipline
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Collecting Areas
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Type of Item
Taxonomy
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Superclass
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Subfamily
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Genus
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Species Name
hercules
Geospatial Information
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Country
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State
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Precise Location
Fig Tre Creek {Assume Fig Tree, multiple places with this name in Queensland}