Chrysiridia rhipheus, the Madagascan sunset moth, is a species of day-flying moth of the family Uraniidae. It is considered one of the most impressive and appealing-looking lepidopterans. Famous worldwide, it is featured in most coffee table books on Lepidoptera and is much sought after by collectors, though many older sources misspell the species name as "ripheus". It is very colourful, though the iridescent parts of the wings do not have pigment; rather the colours originate from optical interference. Adults have a wingspan of 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 in).
Dru Drury, who described the moth in 1773, placed it in the genus Papilio, considering it a butterfly. Jacob Hübner placed it in the moth genus Chrysiridia in 1823. Later redescriptions led to junior synonyms such as Chrysiridia madagascariensis (Lesson, 1831).
Latin Name:
Chrysiridia rhipheus
Quality:
A1
Sex:
Male or Female depending on availability
Distribution:
Madagascar
Frame Size:
8 x 8 inch
Please Be Aware:
The specimen that you will receive may differ in size, shape or colour very slightly since you are purchasing a natural product.
Where do we source our insect specimens?
All of our specimens are purchased from conservation farming projects. Please visit our ethics pages in the menu for details on the type of projects we work with.