Actias ningpoana, the Chinese moon moth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by father-and-son entomologists Cajetan and Rudolf Felder in 1862. It is quite large, and has long, curved, hindwing tails. There are many congeners across Asia; the Luna moth (A. luna) of eastern Canada and the United States is a close relative.
Taxonomy
The taxon ningpoana Felder & Felder had been regarded as a subspecies of Actias selene until recently [3] and was elevated to species level in Ylla et al. (2005).
Range
- China (Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan) (Zhu & Wang, 1996)
- Russia (far east) (Zolotuhin & Chuvilin, 2009)
- India - Western Ghats
Life cycle
Larva
Usually very fleshy with clumps of raised bristles.
Pupa
The pupa develops in a silken cocoon or in the soil.
Adult
Lacking functional mouthparts, the adult lifespan is measured in days. They have small heads, densely hairy bodies, and can have a wingspan ranging from 13 to 15 centimeters.
Host plants
In Hong Kong, A. ningpoana has been reared on camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) (Hill et al., 1982 as Arctias [sic] selene), sweetgum (Liquidambar formosana) (Barretto, 2004), Hibiscus, Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) and willow (Salix babylonica) (Yiu, 2006)
References
