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Madagascan sunset moth, a day-flying species of the Uraniidae family, is indigenous to Madagascar as its name suggests. However, initially, experts regarded Bengal or China to be its place of origin that was ruled out eventually. Described in 1773, entomologist Dru Drury considered it a butterfly and put it in the Papilio genus. Later, in 1823, Jacob Hubner identified it as a moth, placing it in the Chrysiridia genus. Bright and colorful, mostly due to its wings, the moth generates an impressive and appealing appearance.

The larva has a whitish-yellow body spotted in black and also red feet covered with black hairs. The five pairs of prolegs of the caterpillar are fixed to the third, sixth, and tenth abdominal segments. On the other hand, its six real legs remain attached to its thorax. On hatching, they mainly feed on the tissues situated in the middle of the veins of the leaves. Eventually, they start consuming many other things like fruit, tendrils, petioles, young stems, and flowers. They spin silk that is a part of their adaptation strategy, helping them cling on to their host plants’ leaves.

The animal gets its name because of the sunset-colored patches near the bottom of the hindwings. The hindwings are also banded with blue, and there are green bands, dots, and stippling on the forewings.

The iridescent areas of its wings are caused by a trick of light instead of pigment. But its colorful wings aren’t just for the pleasure of human beings. They warn would-be predators that the moth is toxic. The caterpillar exclusively eats the leaves, flowers, and fruit of Omphalea shrubs, which are full of alkaloids.

Though collectors would love to get their hands on one of these pretty moths, the Madagascan Sunset moth isn’t as rare as it might be. This is because of the Malagasy people’s belief that it represents the souls of their ancestors, and to kill it would be a desecration.

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