''Actias'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of
Saturniid moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...
s, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are ''
Copiopteryx'', ''
Argema
''Argema'' is a genus of moths from the family Saturniidae
Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. ...
'' and ''
Eudaemonia
Eudaimonia (Greek: εὐδαιμονία ; sometimes anglicized as eudaemonia or eudemonia, ) is a Greek word literally translating to the state or condition of 'good spirit', and which is commonly translated as 'happiness' or 'welfare'.
In wor ...
''.
The majority of species in this genus feed on the leaves of
sweetgum
''Liquidambar'', commonly called sweetgum
(star gum in the UK),
gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae ...
,
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
, or similar trees. As with all Saturniids, adult ''Actias'' moths lack functional mouthparts so their lifespan after emergence from the
cocoon
Cocoon may refer to:
*Cocoon (silk), a pupal casing made by moth caterpillars and other insect larvae
*Apache Cocoon, web development software
* ''Cocoon'' (film), a 1985 science fiction-fantasy film
**'' Cocoon: The Return'', 1988 sequel to ''Coco ...
only ranges from a few days to a week.
Species
The genus includes the following species:
*''
Actias aliena
''Actias aliena'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae
Saturniidae, commonly known as saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notab ...
''
(Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some al ...
, 1879)
*''
Actias angulocaudata
''Actias angulocaudata'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae described by Stefan Naumann and Thierry Bouyer in 1998. It is found in China and Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາ� ...
''
Naumann & Bouyer, 1998
*''
Actias apollo
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are '' Copiopteryx'', '' Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
Röber, 1923
*''
Actias artemis
''Actias artemis'' is a moth native to Japan, Korea, China, India and Malaysia. The species was first described by Otto Vasilievich Bremer and William Grey in 1853. ''Actias artemis'' is a close relative and look-alike of ''Actias luna'', the A ...
''
( Bremer & Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed ...
, 1853)
*''
Actias arianeae
''Actias arianeae'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in China (Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisio ...
''
(Brechlin, 2007)
*''
Actias australovietnama
''Actias australovietnama'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge ...
''
Brechlin, 2000
*''
Actias brevijuxta
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are '' Copiopteryx'', '' Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
Nässig & Treadaway, 1997
*''
Actias callandra
''Actias callandra'', the Andaman moon moth, is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in India (the Andaman Islands).
The larvae have been reared on ''Lannea coromandelica'' and possibly also feed on ''Rhizophora
''Rhizophora'' is a ge ...
''
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...
, 1911 – Andaman moon moth
*''
Actias chapae
''Actias chapae'' or colloquially known as the 'celestial moon moth' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Vietnam and China and potentially other countries in the region; it is a montane species recorded from 1500m and higher. It ...
''
Mell, 1950
*''
Actias chrisbrechlinae''
(Brechlin, 2007)
*''
Actias dubernardi''
( Oberthür, 1897) – Chinese luna moth
*''
Actias dulcinea
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are '' Copiopteryx'', '' Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
(Butler, 1881) – Sweetheart moon moth
*''
Actias felicis''
( Oberthür, 1896)
*''
Actias gnoma
''Actias gnoma'', also known as the Japanese moon moth, is a moth in the family Saturniidae The species was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877. It is found in Japan and the Russian Far East.
Adults are light greenish blue with a r ...
''
(Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some al ...
, 1877) – Japanese moon moth
*''
Actias groenendaeli
''Actias groenendaeli'' is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Roepke in 1954. It is found in Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...
''
Roepke, 1954
*''
Actias guangxiana
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are '' Copiopteryx'', '' Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
Brechlin, 2012
*''
Actias ignescens
''Actias ignescens'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Laos and India, where it has been recorded from the Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off th ...
''
Moore, 1877
*''
Actias isis
''Actias isis'' is a moth of the family Saturniidae first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.
Range
It is found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Life cycle Egg
Eggs are brown/grey, with a fine mottled pattern, ovate, approximately ...
''
Sonthonnax, 1897
*''
Actias kongjiara
''Actias kongjiaria'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 ...
''
Chu & Wang, 1993
*''
Actias keralana
''Actias keralana'' is a species of moth of the family Saturniidae described by Wolfgang A. Nässig, Stefan Naumann and Alessandro Giusti in 2020. It is native to southern India.Nässig, Wolfgang; Naumann, Stefan & Giusti, Alessandro (2020)"A ...
''
*''
Actias laotiana
''Actias laotiana'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Laos.
References
Actias, Laotiana
Moths described in 1936
Moths of Asia
{{Saturniidae-stub ...
''
Testout, 1936
*''
Actias luna
The Luna moth (''Actias luna'') also known as the American moon moth is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly known as giant silk moths. It has lime-green colored wings and a white body. The larvae ( ...
''
(Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...
, 1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoological ...
) – Luna moth
*''
Actias maenas
The Malaysian moon moth (''Actias maenas'') is a Saturniid in the subfamily Saturniinae from Indomalaya. The male is purplish-brown and yellow, while the larger female is overall light green.
Taxonomy
The species is considered to form a super ...
''
( Doubleday, 1847) – Malaysian moon moth
*''
Actias neidhoeferi
''Actias neidhoeferi'' is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It is found in Taiwan.
Ong Sheng-keng and Yu Ching-kin were the first Taiwanese researchers to publish a journal article on Lepidoptera when they described ''Actias neidhoeferi'' as a ...
''
Ong & Yu, 1968
*''
Actias ningpoana''
Fielder, 1862 – Chinese moon moth
*''
Actias parasinensis
''Actias parasinensis'', the Western Golden moon moth, is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Bhutan, India, Thailand, Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະ� ...
''
Brechlin, 2009
*''
Actias philippinica
''Actias philippinica'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in the Philippines. It is very similar in appearance to '' Actias isis''.
Subspecies
* ''Actias philippinica philippinica'' Nässig & Treadaway, 1997 (Philippines: Luzon)
...
''
Naessig & Treadaway, 1997
*''
Actias rasa
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are ''Copiopteryx'', ''Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
Brechlin & Saldaitis, 2016
*''
Actias rhodopneuma
''Actias rhodopneuma'', colloquially known as the pink spirit moth, is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in China, Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລ� ...
''
Roeber, 1925– Pink spirit moth
*''
Actias rosenbergii
Actias rosenbergii is a moth in the family Saturniidae.
References
rosenbergii
{{Saturniidae-stub ...
''
(Kaup, 1895)
*''
Actias seitzi
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are ''Copiopteryx'', ''Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
Kalis, 1934
*''
Actias selene
''Actias selene'', the Indian moon moth or Indian luna moth, is a species of saturniid moth from Asia. It was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1807. This species is popular among amateur entomologists and is often reared from eggs or cocoon ...
''
(Hübner __NOTOC__
Hübner is a Germanic surname, sometimes spelled Huebner or Hubner.
The name means an agricultural worker, a farmer, possibly and specifically one who worked a "hube", which was a piece of land roughly equivalent to the English measuremen ...
, 1806) – Indian moon moth
*''
Actias shaanxiana
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are ''Copiopteryx'', ''Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
(Brechlin, 2007)
*''
Actias sinensis
''Actias sinensis'', the Golden moon moth, is a moth of the Family Saturniidae. It is found in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Myanmar, India and Thailand. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855.
Subspecies
*''Actias sinensis s ...
''
(Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
*Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
*Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California
* ...
, 1855) – South China moon moth
*''
Actias truncatipennis
''Actias truncatipennis'' is an uncommon moth of the family Saturniidae that is found in Mexico. The species was first described by Léon Sonthonnax in 1899.
It resembles the Luna moth but is considerably larger.
References
Moths descr ...
''
(Sonthonnax, 1899)
*''
Actias uljanae
''Actias uljanae'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in China (Guangxi
Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Re ...
''
(Brechlin, 2007)
*''
Actias vanschaycki
''Actias'' is a genus of Saturniid moths, which contains the Asian-American moon moths. Long tails on their hindwings are among their distinctive traits. Other moths with similar appearance are ''Copiopteryx'', ''Argema'' and ''Eudaemonia''.
...
''
Brechlin, 2013
*''
Actias winbrechlini
''Actias winbrechlini'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1 ...
''
(Brechlin, 2007)
*''
Actias witti
''Actias witti'' is a moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in India (Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Togethe ...
''
(Brechlin, 2007)
*''
Actias xenia''
Jordan, 912
Year 912 ( CMXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
__NOTOC__
Events By place Byzantine Empire
* May 11 – Emperor Leo VI (the Wise) dies after a 26-year reign in ...
/small>
Selected former species
*''
Actias heterogyna
''Actias sinensis'', the Golden moon moth, is a moth of the Family Saturniidae. It is found in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicat ...
''
(Kishida, 1993)
*''
Actias isabellae
''Graellsia isabellae'', the Spanish moon moth, is in the silkmoth family Saturniidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Graellsia''. The species was first described by Mariano de la Paz Graells y de la Agüera in 1849 and the ge ...
''
(Graells, 1849)
*''
Actias omeishana
''Actias selene'', the Indian moon moth or Indian luna moth, is a species of saturniid moth from Asia. It was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1807. This species is popular among amateur entomologists and is often reared from eggs or cocoon ...
''
Watson, 1912
Galleries
Eggs
Image:Actias luna eggs sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna'' eggs
Image:Actias maenas ova sjh.JPG, ''Actias maenas'' eggs
1st Instar
Image:Actias luna 1st instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna'' reared on American Sweetgum
American sweetgum (''Liquidambar styraciflua''), also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temper ...
.
Image:Actias selene 1st instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias selene'' reared on American Sweetgum
American sweetgum (''Liquidambar styraciflua''), also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temper ...
.
2nd Instar
Image:Actias artemis 2nd instar 1 sjh.jpg, ''Actias artemis'' reared on American Sweetgum
American sweetgum (''Liquidambar styraciflua''), also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temper ...
Image:Actias luna 2nd instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna''
Image:Actias selene 2nd instar 3 sjh.JPG, ''Actias selene''
3rd Instar
Image:Actias luna 3rd instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna''
Image:Actias selene 3rd instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias selene''
4th Instar
Image:Actias artemis 4th instar 1 sjh.jpg, ''Actias artemis''
Image:Actias luna 4th instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna''
Image:Actias selene 4th instar sjh.JPG, ''Actias selene''
5th Instar
Image:Actias artemis 5th instar 3 sjh.jpg, ''Actias artemis''
Image:Actias luna 5th instar 3 sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna''
Image:Actias selene 5th instar 2 sjh.JPG, ''Actias selene''
Cocoon
Image:Actias luna cocoons sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna''
Adult
Image:Actias artemis.jpg, ''Actias artemis'' male
Image:Actias dubernardi female sjh.jpg, ''Actias dubernardi'' adult female
Image:Actias dubernardi male sjh.jpg, ''Actias dubernardi'' male
Image:Actias isis female sjh.jpg, ''Actias isis'' adult female
Image:Actias isis male sjh.jpg, ''Actias isis'' adult male
Image:Actias luna female sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna'' female
Image:Actias luna male sjh.JPG, ''Actias luna'' male
Image:Actias maenas adult male sjh.jpg, ''Actias maenas'' male
Image:Actias ningpoana female sjh.jpg, ''Actias ningpoana'' female
Image:Actias selene adult male sjh.jpg, ''Actias selene'' male
Image:Actias sinensis adult female sjh.jpg, ''Actias sinensis'' female
Image:Actias sinensis adult male sjh.jpg, ''Actias sinesis'' male
Image:Actias truncatipennis adult female sjh.jpg, ''Actias truncatipennis'' female
Image:Actias truncatipennis adult male sjh.jpg, ''Actias truncatipennis'' male
References
RightHealth
Saturniinae
Moth genera
Taxa named by William Elford Leach
{{Saturniidae-stub