Discover Top Posts Tagged with #dru drury

Popular Recent

Goliath beetles illustrations from Illustrations of natural history. Wherein are exhibited upwards of two hundred and forty figures of exotic insects, according to their differt genera ... With a particular description of each insect: interspersed with remarks and reflections on the nature and properties of many of them. 1770. Dru Drury. https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/1134718

#entomology #insects #goliath beetle #goliath beetles #beetle #beetles #beetle illustration #Dru Drury #bug illustration #bugs #biology

i'm back! i'll be honest i mostly forgot about the tabs i had open for a while (oops), but i found a fun one for you :)

the madagascan sunset moth

yes, i said moth. i know these are supposed to be butterflies, but we both love and appreciate moths here, and this one actually has a good reason.

when the madagascan sunset moth was first recorded in 1773 by entomologist dru drury (what a name. he was also born on lad lane. lots of alliteration there.), he named it papilio rhipheus. you might note that papilio is specific to butterflies, not moths. the specimen he received had had the head of the moth replaced with the head of a butterfly, giving it the clubbed antennae that allowed drury to identify it as a butterfly. additionally, these moths are somewhat similar in color and shape to swallowtail butterflies, which doesn't help.

when the mistake was realized, it was reclassified as a member of the urania genus of moths. this held until 1823, when entomologist Jacob Hübner reclassified it yet again as a member of the new genus chrysidiria. this gives us the current scientific name of chrysidiria rhipheus.

however, because of a whole lot of other issues regarding the original classification by drury, subsequent classifications by other entomologists, and good old misspellings, it is also known as: urania crameri, urania druryi, urania papageno, rhipheus dasycephalus, leilus orientalis, chrysiridia riphearia, urania ripheus, urania rhiphaeus, urania rhipheus, chrysiridia madagascariensis, chrysiridia rhiphaeus, and chrysiridia ripheus. that's a lot of names for one moth.

other interesting facts about this moth:

it was originally believed to be from china or bengal, but actually is only found in madagascar. (legitimately how did they get so much wrong about this moth.)

the silk spun by madagascan sunset moth caterpillars causes a "euphoric high" if consumed.

they're toxic! this is because they eat the four types of omphalea plant found in madagascar, which are also toxic, and those toxins remain in the moth's body throughout their life cycle.

there are only two species in the chrysidiria genus, and both are diurnal.