Hobbies And Interests
Habitat
The Sunset Moth is endemic to the island of Madagascar, meaning that is the only place it can be found. It depends on the Omphalea plant to survive, which also is endemic to Madagascar. The moth will migrate from one area of the island to another as food supplies dwindle. The Omphalea plant is naturally poisonous, with the ability to increase toxicity when its survival is threatened. Sunset Moths eat the entire plant, including the flowers and fruit. As the plants are decimated, their toxicity levels rise, sometimes killing off scores of young Sunset Moth caterpillars. The Sunset Moth can be found all year around on the island, with highest populations being between March and August. The smallest populations of the moth occur between October and December.
Characteristics
The Sunset Moth's wings are very colorful. The color, however, does not come from pigmentation. Rather, it is on optical effect caused by many rows of cylindrical, curved scales that result in light refraction. The wings range in color from red to blue to green. They have six tails on their wings, which sometimes confuses them with the swallowtail butterfly. A lot of times, their wings are asymmetrical due to temperature shock during the pupal stage. The moth generally has a wing span of between 7 and 9 cm depending on what part of the island they originate from. Higher-elevation moths tend to be smaller, while lower-elevation cousins have a wider wingspan.
Life Cycle
The female moth lays about 80 eggs on the underside of the Omphalea leaf. They tend to lay their eggs in the late afternoon or at night. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars are whitish-yellow with black spots and red feet. They spin silk from their mouths as they walk to keep from falling from the smooth leaves of the plant. The caterpillar stage last anywhere from two months during the warm months to 2 1/2 to three months during the cold months. They continue to eat the Omphalea plant, defoliating entire plants and absorbing the toxins throughout this stage. The toxins from the plant stay with them through adulthood. When it's time to change, the moth spins a cocoon out of silk either in a tree or between leaves on a plant. The metamorphosis takes place about 30 hours later. The chrysalis stage lasts 17 days with the moth emerging at night. The Sunset Moth takes flight for the first time about two hours after emerging from its cocoon.
Behavior
Most moths fly only at night. The Sunset Moth, however, flies during the day. This is one of the reasons it was originally thought to be a butterfly. Also in common with the butterfly is its nighttime resting posture -- the wings are held vertically over the back. The moth only migrates in groups and will roost for the night together. While migrating, the moth flies only in clearings and over treetops but is susceptible to high winds, which can hinder travel.