Creation grace: Mammoth moth

The Cecropia Moth is North America's largest native moth. It is affectionately known as the mammoth moth because its wingspan regularly reaches five or six inches across. Like all members of the Giant Silk Moth family, the nocturnal adult cecropia moths are designed only to reproduce, lacking functional mouth parts or digestive system. Therefore, they survive only tendays to two weeks.

"Although these moths are common throughout North America, you don't often see them because they fly only at night. However, because a cecropia moth is colorful as well as large, when you do see one for the first time you will remember it forever!" (source)

The species is a beautiful cinnamon color with huge eyespots on the wing. The eyespots are oval-shaped and contain rings of yellow, black and blue in gentle gradations. The blue tends to shimmer with iridescence and the moth's entire coloration is quite beautiful. If startled, they will open and close their wings, flashing their eyespots to startle a predator in return.

The one I saw was a female, the narrow antennae gives her away. The polyphemus moth's entire existence is to reproduce and one she has mated and laid her eggs, she dies. This one was gently expiring on the ground after fufilling her one and only duty. :(




God's creation is beautiful and wonderful.

"And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:25)

Comments

  1. I had considered buying a Cecropia moth cocoon so my granddaughter could raise one. I read up on them, and afterwards, I became fixated on the life of the Cecropia moth. Why did God create such a beautiful creature just to have it reproduce and die. The articles that I read stated the Cecropia moths live only a few days. Their one and only purpose is to reproduce and then die. Why? I have become rather obsessed with this subject. I guess God Himself will have to answer this question for me as I pray about it.

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