【God of Color】Chrysiridia ripheus Specimen Butterfly Exotic Butterfly Specimen

Scientific Name: Chrysiridia rhipheus

Chrysiridia rhipheus, also known as the Madagascan Sunset Moth, is a species of moth in the family Uraniidae. It is often described as the most beautiful lepidopteran in the world.

It is endemic to Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. Its distribution is centered in the forests where Omphalea oppositifolia thrives on the eastern side of the island, but it may migrate across the central highlands of the island to the limestone karst areas on the west side depending on the season.
A related species, Chrysiridia croesus, is found in eastern Tanzania.

While many adult moths are nocturnal, this species is diurnal. Like many brightly colored diurnal moths, it is also toxic.
The larvae are yellowish-white, covered in black bristles, and have black tubercles and red legs. Their food plants are from the genus Omphalea in the family Euphorbiaceae, which contain alkaloids. The toxins ingested by the larvae are retained in their bodies even after they become adults.

A characteristic feature of this species is its wings, which possess a striking, beautiful iridescence. Consequently, when first discovered, it was treated as a butterfly and classified in the genus Papilio, which has many species with similar characteristics in East Asia. This is likely related to the fact that this species has tail-like appendages on its hindwings (a characteristic of the genus Papilio).

Please note that we cannot guarantee against downgrading due to shipping. We will send the pictured individual from Merina, Madagascar. It was collected in February 2016. This is the last one available, featuring very beautiful purplish-pink markings.