Discovery of a giant moth with 25 cm wings in Australia

It is not uncommon to find giant insects in Australia. A large moth specimen was recently discovered at a school in Queensland next to the Australian rainforest. The pest was spotted by workers at the company’s construction site.

A giant butterfly

Endoxyla sinus Or the giant tree moth is a moth of the Cosidae family. It is only found Australia And en New Zealand. It is the largest butterfly in the world with a wingspan of about 23 centimeters and weighs up to 30 grams. The females of the species are the largest, while half the size of the males.

« Usually people don’t see their wings stretched out so they don’t realize how big they are, but if you actually raise them., They are very heavy, ”said Chris Lampkin, curator of the Queensland Museum.

Despite their large size, these are Insects They are very difficult to see in the wild because they spend most of their lives as larvae, hiding in eucalyptus trunks. It is only after about three years at this stage that they turn into butterflies. When they grow up, they only have a week to live. Time spent mating and laying eggs.

Insect inspired Queensland School students

School principal Megan Stewart said it was an incredible discovery. ” At Mount Cotton State School we have seen a wide variety of animals such as bush turkeys, walruses, colas, ducks, rainforest snakes, echidnas, tree frogs, poachers, chickens and turtles. But we have never seen anything like this giant moth before Said.

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Since the school was closed at the time of the discovery, students did not have the opportunity to admire the giant tree moth. Workers did not wait long to put it back in the woods. However, photos of the butterfly inspired the latter. One of them even wrote a story in which the giant insect swallows one of the school teachers.