Luke Brown with the Atlas moth Picture Ref: 76954-03THE Boeing 747 of the moth world is undergoing flight testing in Wroughton.

Attacus Atlas, the Atlas moth, can measure up to a foot from wingtip to wingtip in its natural South Asian habitat.

The newly-hatched specimen at Butterfly World is somewhat smaller.

But is still the biggest kid on the block by far.

It is the first of 40 acquired as pupae from another butterfly farm to hatch.

Butterfly World manager Luke Brown said: "The moth's colouring includes a lot of browns, with maroons and oranges.

"Its markings include four large patches like eyes.

"These are specially for frightening off predators.

"There are also similar markings on the tips of the forewings which resemble snakes' heads."

In spite of having such enormous wings, the moth's body comes in at a modest inch and a half.

Depending on conditions, its life cycle from egg to three or four-inch green caterpillar to pupa to adult can range in length from 100 days to several months.

And nobody need worry about these particular moths snacking on their clothes.

As fearsome as the Atlas moth looks, it does all its feeding at the larval stage, and the adults have no mouthparts.

The adults live only four or five days, and their sole function is to mate and produce the next generation.

Butterfly World, on the same site as Blooms garden centre, opened two years ago, and has already carved out a reputation as one of the top visitor attractions of its kind in the country.

It currently has about 45 different species of butterflies.

Further information is available on 01793 852400 and at www.studleygrange.co.uk

It's a great species

THE stamping grounds of the Atlas moth are the hot and humid jungles of South East Asia.

The largest specimens tend to be found in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Visitors to its habitat often see the shadow of what they take to be a bird, only to look up and discover an example of the largest moth species alive. Whether the moth is the largest creature of its kind ever is debatable.

Like many moths and butterflies, including our own Death's Head Hawk Moth (the largest British species), the Atlas moth, is a delicate creature.

There are several different types of Atlas moth, recognisable by their markings, but they are all part of the same family.