# Atlas Moth — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Attacus atlas (Linnaeus, 1758) — family Saturniidae*

> The atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is one of the world's largest moths, with snake-head wingtips and no functional adult mouthparts — it lives one to two weeks on larval fat while Sundaland forest conversion removes host trees.

**IUCN status:** Not Evaluated — widespread but dependent on forest trees amid Sundaland conversion  ·  **WARN range:** Southeast Asia, Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula and tropical Asia

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Wingspan | Up to ~24 cm or more |
| Adult feeding | None — no functional mouthparts |
| Adult lifespan | About 1–2 weeks |
| Defence | Snake-head wingtip mimicry |
| IUCN status | Not Evaluated |
| Main threats | Host-tree loss; oil palm, pulpwood, mining |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Lepidoptera
- **Family:** Saturniidae
- **Genus:** Attacus
- **Species:** Attacus atlas

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Not Evaluated
- **Population:** Unknown
- **Trend:** Unknown; likely decreasing where host forest is cleared
- **Assessed:** Not assessed
- **CITES:** Not listed
- Conservation is tied to larval host trees in mixed forest, not adult moth abundance at lights.

## Key facts: Atlas Moth
- Atlas moths are among the largest moths by wing area, with wingspans exceeding twenty centimetres.
- Adults lack functional mouthparts and do not eat — they survive one to two weeks on fat stored as caterpillars.
- Wingtips mimic snake heads, startling predators when the moth moves.
- Caterpillars feed on tree and shrub leaves; oil palm and pulpwood conversion removes host plants across Sundaland.
- Males locate females by pheromone using large feathery antennae — adult life is reproduction only.
- WARN's comet moth guide at /wildlife-guides/comet-moth covers Madagascar's Argema mittrei — a parallel giant saturniid with similar short-lived adult biology.

## Adult life without eating
Saturniid moths including Attacus atlas emerge from pupae with vestigial mouthparts — no proboscis, no feeding. Energy for flight, mating and egg-laying comes entirely from larval stores. A large caterpillar eating voraciously for weeks buys a short adult window.

That strategy works when emergence synchronises with mates and suitable egg-laying sites. It fails when host trees are removed between generations. The moth is not pollinator-dependent as an adult; it is host-plant-dependent as a caterpillar.

## Snake-head wingtips
The forewing tips bear scale patterns resembling cobra heads — dark patches with 'eye' spots. When a resting moth drops and flutters, the illusion startles birds long enough to escape. It is mimicry without close mimicry of any single species — good enough to buy a second.

Madagascar's comet moth, covered in WARN's guide at /wildlife-guides/comet-moth, uses a similar wingtip strategy on a different continent. Giant saturniids converge on short adult lives, bold wing patterns and caterpillar bulk — evolution's template for big moths.

## Host trees and plantation landscapes
Atlas moth caterpillars accept several host genera — tropical trees and shrubs cleared when lowland forest becomes oil palm or pulpwood monoculture. Plantations are not moth habitat; edge trees may host individuals but not populations at scale.

Mining and infrastructure scatter remnant forest. Wildlife trade in Southeast Asia focuses on vertebrates; atlas moths appear in tourist displays and occasionally in cocoons for silk, but conversion is the structural threat. Not Evaluated on the Red List reflects survey gaps, not abundance in a converted landscape.

## Giant moths in the invertebrate frame
Atlas moths belong among the largest insects people search by name — alongside birdwing butterflies and, in Madagascar, comet moths. WARN groups moths with butterflies and beetles on invertebrate type pages because public interest clusters on size and appearance, while conservation hinges on larval host plants.

Protecting atlas moths means protecting mixed forest with host trees — not charismatic-adult campaigns. The adult you photograph lives two weeks and never eats; the caterpillar that mattered ate leaves on trees now replaced by plantation rows on Borneo and Sumatra.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for invertebrates whose adult form is famous and whose larval needs are ignored. Atlas moths live two weeks without eating — their conservation is host-forest conservation amid oil palm and pulpwood expansion.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Atlas Moth
### Do atlas moths eat as adults?
No. Adults have no functional mouthparts and live one to two weeks on fat stored as caterpillars.

### How big is an atlas moth?
Wingspan can exceed twenty-four centimetres — among the largest moths by wing area.

### Why do atlas moth wings look like snakes?
Wingtip patterns mimic snake heads to startle predators — defensive mimicry when the moth moves.

### Where do atlas moths live?
Tropical and subtropical Asia including Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula — wherever host trees remain.

### What do atlas moth caterpillars eat?
Leaves of various trees and shrubs — hosts removed by forest conversion for oil palm and pulpwood.

### How is the atlas moth related to the comet moth?
Both are giant saturniids with short non-feeding adult stages and dramatic wing patterns. WARN's comet moth guide at /wildlife-guides/comet-moth covers Madagascar's Argema mittrei.

### Are atlas moths dangerous?
Atlas moths are harmless to people. Adults have no functional mouthparts and do not bite or sting. Their entire adult life — typically one to two weeks — runs on fat stored from larval feeding, devoted to reproduction before they die.

### How long do atlas moths live?
Adult atlas moths live about one to two weeks according to this guide's quickFacts and stats. They cannot eat as adults; females emit pheromones and males with feathery antennae fly kilometres to mate, then die. Caterpillars feed on trees cleared for oil palm and pulpwood across Sundaland.

## Sources
- [Natural History Museum — atlas moth facts](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-an-atlas-moth.html)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Attacus atlas](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Attacus_atlas/)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/atlas-moth