Herculia (moth)

Herculia is a genus of moths belonging to the family Pyralidae. The genus is mostly treated as a synonym of Hypsopygia. If considered valid, some species previously placed here are now in Dolichomia and Ocrasa, which in turn are also mostly merged in Hypsopygia. O. fulvocilialis is sometimes[1] still placed in the present genus.

Herculia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Pyralidae
Subfamily:
Pyralinae
Tribe:
Pyralini
Genus:
Herculia

Walker, 1859
Synonyms[1]

Bejuda Walker, [1866]
Bleone Ragonot, 1890
Buzala Walker, 1863
Cisse Walker, 1863
Herculea (lapsus)

The Hercules moth might not have super strength and a history of heroic deeds, but it does grow to an astonishing size. Adult female Hercules moths have a wingspan of around 27 cm, consistently charting as one of the world's biggest species of moth. The largest Hercules female ever found was reported to have reached 36 cm. Males are more lightly built and have long tails on the hind wings. They are native to the rain forests of northern Queensland and New Guinea.[2]

Despite reaching a gargantuan size, these adult moths don't get a lot of time to frolic around in the trees. Living up to two weeks (and longer than one night if the males are very lucky), as soon as they emerge from their cocoons, it's business time. Without mouths, these moths are not distracted by pesky necessities such as feeding. Instead, the female gets to work releasing a potent airborne perfume (pheromone) that attracts males from a distance. Detecting her advertisement, he flies to find the waiting female, mates, and his story is over.[2]

Species

Species include:[1][3]

Footnotes
  1. See references in Savela (2009)
  2. Henderson, Caitlin (2019-05-10). "Hercules, the moth of myth". Minibeast Wildlife. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  3. Myers, P.; R. Espinosa; C. S. Parr; T. Jones; G. S. Hammond & T. A. Dewey. "Herculia". The Animal Diversity Web.

References
  • Savela, Markku (2009): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Herculia. Version of 2009-APR-08. Retrieved 2010-APR-12.


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