| In the subtropical forests of the Malay Archipelago, a moth of seemingly impossible proportions flutters among the trees. Named the atlas moth (Attacus atlas), this saturniid — meaning a member of the Saturniidae family — is the largest moth in the world in terms of overall size, with a staggering maximum wingspan of nearly 12 inches and a surface area up to 62 inches. The moth is so huge that it's often mistaken for a bird at first glance. Being a big moth means it's also a big caterpillar, stretching up to nearly 5 inches long, and its silk cocoon is so durable that people in Taiwan sometimes use them as purses. Sadly, the moths are also short-lived, surviving only one to two weeks after emerging from their cocoons. Although the atlas moth is considered the biggest in overall size compared to other lepidopterans (a taxonomic order that includes butterflies, moths, and skippers), it isn't necessarily an outlier. The hercules moth (Coscinocera hercules), endemic to Papua New Guinea and Australia, comes in a close second with a wingspan of 11 inches, and the males have a graceful swallowtail that actually makes them the longest moth. Meanwhile, the white witch moth (Thysania agrippina), found mostly in Central and South America, has a maximum wingspan even slightly longer than that of the atlas moth, at 12.6 inches, although it's smaller overall. So while your average U.S. moth might be only a tiny nocturnal annoyance, remember that its big and beautiful brethren are fluttering elsewhere. | 
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