Wait, are those snakes in that tree? No way…
Photos appearing to show three angry snakes in a tree have left Internet users baffled as the creatures revealed to be nothing more than gentle, albeit gigantic, insects.
Hiding in this tree are some specimens of Attacus atlas, or Atlas moth, an amazing moth native to the Malaysian rainforest that disguises as a snake. With a wingspan measuring up to 24 cm (9.4 in), and a wing surface area of about 160 cm2 (~25 in2), the Atlas moth is one of the largest lepidopterans, only surpassed in wingspan by the white witch (Thysania agrippina) and Attacus caesar, and in wing surface area by the Hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules). As in most Lepidoptera, females are noticeably larger and heavier than males, while males have broader antennae. The body is disproportionately small compared to the wings.
Both forewings of the Atlas moth have a prominent extension at the tip, with markings that resemble the head of a snake. This resemblance is exaggerated by movements of the wings when the moth is confronted by potential predators.
Another interesting characteristic of these insects is that their food and nutrients are completely absorbed during the larval stage. After emerging from the cocoon, Atlas moths have a closed mouth, so they will never eat like a butterfly for the rest of their lives and rely on fat storage for energy. As a result, they only live about two weeks.
Every flight takes valuable energy and can take days off their already short lives, so they conserve energy by flying as little as possible. A female will wait for a male to come along and be fertilized, lay eggs and die.
With this mechanism, this butterfly has sacrificed its longevity for the sake of producing the largest offspring.
Attacus Atlas. Photo: Rene Mensen
Truly an amazing animal.
Source: 1, 2
