Mega Moth

Atlas moths are so big that people often mistake them for birds. They can have wingspans of up to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) across.

With a ruler, draw a diagonal line that measures 30 cm on your paper. Label it “Atlas moth length.”

The Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is the world’s largest butterfly. It has a wingspan of 28 cm (11 inches). It lives in Papua, New Guinea.

Draw a 28 cm line below the line for the Atlas moth on your paper. How much shorter is the wingspan of a Queen Alexandra’s birdwing compared with that of an an Atlas moth? Use your ruler to measure the difference or solve using an equation.

Atlas moth caterpillars can grow to 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) long.

On your paper, measure an 11.5 cm line. About how many times longer is an adult Atlas moth’s wingspan compared with an Atlas caterpillar?

Adult Atlas moths have no mouths. This means they can’t eat. They only live about 4 days off nutrients stored in their bodies.