# Atlas moth (*Attacus atlas*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/atlas-moth  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is an insect in the butterflies and moths group, belonging to the family Saturniidae. It is classified in the order Lepidoptera, superfamily Bombycoidea, subfamily Saturniinae and genus Attacus. Its scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758), and it sits in the class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda and kingdom Animalia.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 25 cm – 30 cm |
| Lifespan | 0.0192 years – 0.0383 years |
| Main food | leaves |
| Habitat | forest, shrubland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 1 country. Introduced: Belgium. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Lepidoptera
- family: Saturniidae
- genus: Attacus
- species: *Attacus atlas* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Attacus atlantis*, *Attacus baliensis*, *Attacus bifenestratus*, *Attacus burmaensis*, *Attacus burmana*, *Attacus chinensis*, *Attacus conjunctus*, *Attacus ethra*, *Attacus formosanus*, *Attacus gladiator*, *Attacus incerta*, *Attacus javanensis*, *Attacus major*, *Attacus mannus*, *Attacus minor*, *Attacus opaca*, *Attacus pallida*, *Attacus roseus*, *Attacus rotundus*, *Attacus ryukyuensis*, *Attacus silhetica*, *Attacus simplex*, *Attacus strandi*, *Attacus sumatranus*, *Attacus talas*, *Attacus talas*, *Attacus tonkinensis*, *Attacus tonkinensis*, *Attacus trifenestratus*, *Attacus trumphator*, *Attacus varia*, *Attacus vitrea*, *Phalaena atlas*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the atlas moth?

The atlas moth is an insect in the butterflies and moths group, classified in the order Lepidoptera.

### What is the scientific name of the atlas moth?

The scientific name of the atlas moth is Attacus atlas.

### Who named the atlas moth and when?

The atlas moth's scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).

### What family does the atlas moth belong to?

The atlas moth belongs to the family Saturniidae, within the subfamily Saturniinae.

### What superfamily is the atlas moth in?

The atlas moth is in the superfamily Bombycoidea.

### What genus is the atlas moth in?

The atlas moth is in the genus Attacus.

### Is the atlas moth an invasive species?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the atlas moth as introduced in 1 country: Belgium, but does not flag it as invasive in any of them.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Atlas moth (Attacus atlas). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/atlas-moth