Why is this animal unusual?
The adult moth has no working mouth. It lives off the energy it stored as a caterpillar, and its only job is to find a mate and lay eggs.
Why does it look like that?
A woolly yellow body, pink legs, pink feathery antennae and wings in pink and cream. No two are coloured exactly alike.
Strangest biological feature
That colour scheme. Bright colours in nature often warn predators that an animal tastes bad – though with this moth, scientists aren’t sure whether it’s a warning or a bluff.
Why is it strange?
When disturbed, it doesn’t fly off. It tucks in its legs, drops to the ground and plays dead.
Interesting behavioral facts
Its caterpillar, the green-striped mapleworm, feeds in groups when young and can strip the leaves off a small maple.
Records held
The smallest of the great silk moths.
