The Giant Moth (Saturniidae) | Close-up cell phone photography

in CCS2 months ago

IMG_20250307_105806_342.jpg

Greetings, friends of CCS! I haven't posted in several days. I hope to catch up. I'm starting with this moth species, which arrived at our house with a broken wing and its colors very faded.


photograph jos-v5.pn

Photo N° 1:

IMG_20250307_105805_
Checking with Google Lens, the moth in the photo appears to be a member of the Saturniidae family, which are the largest and most spectacular group of moths in the world. It is likely a Rothschildia arethusa moth because of its brown wings with windows.

photograph jos-v5.pn

Photo N° 2: ts life as a moth is very short.

IMG_20250307_132501_
The adult stage of these moths is a fleeting reproductive mission. From what I've researched, when they are adults, these moths don't feed; they only dedicate themselves to reproducing. The adult life in this family is exceptionally short, lasting between 5 and 10 days.


photograph jos-v5.pn

Photo N° 3:

IMG_20250307_132552_869.jpg

They emerge from the chrysalis with atrophied mouths, surviving solely on the fat reserves accumulated during their long and voracious caterpillar stage.
The adult moth's purpose is clear: to find a mate and ensure the next generation. Once mating is complete, the female begins to lay her numerous eggs (up to more than 100), attaching them to the undersides of plant leaves.


photograph jos-v5.pn

Photo N° 4: The Final Decline

IMG_20250307_105824_
Each flight, each effort to find the right plant to lay her eggs, consumes her remaining energy; she literally wears herself down. This is the stage she reached when she arrived at the house. The constant flapping wears them down, especially the tips, which become brittle and frayed.


photograph jos-v5.pn


Photo N° 5:

IMG_20250307_132639_
This morning we saw her on a wall, in the state shown in the photo, with her hindwings half-destroyed and a noticeable loss of the scales that reflect her color. When her energy reserves are depleted and she has laid her eggs, the insect has fulfilled her life's purpose and dies.


photograph jos-v5.pn


Info:

For editing, I used Lightroom.

Item
Description
Equipment:Umidigi Cell Phone A7S Camera
Mode:Macro Mode. + zoom. Frame 4:3
Author:@joslud
Edition:Lightroom
Location:Indoor - Outdoor
Date:Mar/10/ 25

See you soon


photograph jos-v5.pn

Fuentes / Sources

photograph jos-v4.pn

Original production by @joslud

I'll wait for you in the next publication.
Sort:  
 2 months ago 

🎉 Congratulations, @joslud!

Your post The Giant Moth (Saturniidae) | Close-up cell phone photography was rewarded by CCS Curation Trail

CCS Logo

“Home is where your heart is ❤️.”

👉 Join the CCS Curation Trail | Community Invitation

Vote Banner

Vote for visionaer3003 as witness

Loading...