Atlas moths are one of the largest moths third to the white witch and Hercules moth. They have a disproportionately small, red body to their large wingspan of 9.4 inches and a wing surface area of about 25 inches. The females are larger than males, but the males have broader antennae.

The undersides of the atlas moth’s wings are paler while the upperside is a mix of black, orange, pink, yellow, and white. The tips of the atlas moth’s wings look like snake heads which can be used as a strategy to ward off predators.

Atlas moths are found only in Asia. Their ideal habitats are shrublands, secondary forests, and dry tropical forests.

Once the atlas moth hatches, they devote no time to eating. This is because they have no mouth! Mouthless moths are common but with the atlas moth’s short life span, they don’t want to waste energy looking for food. The average life expectancy of these moths is only one to two weeks and every flight uses energy they don’t have a high supply of.

When female atlas moths are ready to mate, they fly up to a high perch with a good air current and release pheromones. After mating, she will release a number of eggs on the undersides of food leaves. Caterpillars hatch after two weeks and feed constantly to give their moth forms as much energy as possible. After the caterpillar reaches 4.5 inches in length, they will entwine themselves with leaves in a papery cocoon for another 4 weeks before becoming a moth.

There are different theories on how this moth got its name; one is the intricate patterns on their wings look like an atlas. Another theory is that it was named after the Greek Titan Atlas due to their large size.

Their caterpillar form is also well-equipped for danger and can spray a strong-smelling secretion up to 20 inches at predators.