Huge Surprise. Attacus atlas, Atlas Moth, ARTIS Amsterdam Zoo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
These November days are quite dark and long so I went out for some light and warmth to the Butterfly House of the Amsterdam Zoo. There I was delighted by this very large Atlas Moth. They're night creatures, these Moths, but now the light is so diminished that it's found a resting place more or less midday. Carefully I got very close and it remained perched. This Moth doesn't eat - in fact, it can't because its mouth parts are not adapted to eating - in its imago stage, so it has to preserve energy and fly as little as possible. It won't live much longer than five days. Beautiful creature!
Huge Surprise. Attacus atlas, Atlas Moth, ARTIS Amsterdam Zoo, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
These November days are quite dark and long so I went out for some light and warmth to the Butterfly House of the Amsterdam Zoo. There I was delighted by this very large Atlas Moth. They're night creatures, these Moths, but now the light is so diminished that it's found a resting place more or less midday. Carefully I got very close and it remained perched. This Moth doesn't eat - in fact, it can't because its mouth parts are not adapted to eating - in its imago stage, so it has to preserve energy and fly as little as possible. It won't live much longer than five days. Beautiful creature!