Indian Moon Moth in Hong Kong

The pavement outside grand-daughter’s school is not the ideal place for a moon moth to choose to spend the day. But this one did. The Indian Moon Moth (Actias selene) is recognisable by the pink patches on the trailing tails of the hindwings. The other species that can also be found in Hong Kong, the Chinese Moon Moth (A. ningpoana) does not have the pink.

The large antennae—female pheromone detectors—on this one indicate that it is a male.

Only comparatively recently have the two species been split, the Chinese being considered a subspecies of the Indian. The fact that the two distinct forms breed in Hong Kong suggests that there  is a reproductive barrier between the two and that the ‘split’ into two species is valid. They must both breed in Hong Kong because the adults are very short-lived. They lack mouth parts and thus die a few days, up to a week as the maximum, after emerging from the chrysalis.

This one survived its stay on the pavement. Later in the day AP found it had made its way onto some nearby herbage. Perhaps it was ready for another night, perhaps its last night, on the tiles.