Largest Butterfly and Moth in the World

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Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the largest butterfly in the world, with a wingspan up to 1 foot (30 cm). This tropical butterfly is from the rainforest in northern Papua New Guinea. The caterpillars eat the pipevine plant, which contains poison; this makes the butterfly toxic to predators, which will get sick if they eat it. So they quickly learn to leave these huge butterflies alone.

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Atlas Moth

The Atlas Moth is found throughout the jungles of Southeast Asia, and particularly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. The Atlas Moth adult has a wingspan of 1 foot (30 cm). This moth is so big, it is often mistaken for a small bird when it is flying! The Atlas Moth's cocoon looks like a piece of fruit hanging from a tree. The moth uses the markings on its back, which resemble a snake, to scare away predators. The Atlas does all its eating as a larva; the adult moth has no mouth, and cannot eat.