The Comet Moth or Moon Moth(Argema mittrei), a large silk moth, is found only
in the wild in certain parts of Madagascar but is able to be breed in captivity.
In Madagascar are a few breeding areas and there are a few zoos that attempt
breeding too. Some of them are quite successful.
The Madagascan Moon Moth or Comet Moth is one of the world's biggest, the male
has a wing span of twenty centimeters and a tail span of fifteen centimeters.
As a Moth they only live for 4 or 5 days and they are only fertile the first
day after getting out of the cocoon.
As a caterpillar they feed on eucalyptus leaves (only fresh ones, which makes
it harder to breed them in captivity) and grow to a reasonable size before
getting in the cocoon. They stay in there for about two to six months depending
on the climate.
This particular type of moth only lives in Madagascar of the south coast of
Africa. It is an endangered species.