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Emperor Gum Moth is one of the largest Australian moths. Its
wide and relatively narrow wings span up to 15 cm when fully
expanded. In addition to being large for an insect the adult
moths have and additional feature to make them appear even
bigger. They have conspicuous 'eye-spots' on their hind
wings which gives a potential predator the impression that the
entire moth is in fact just the head of a much larger animal.
The large blue-green caterpillars
are almost as spectacular as the moths and are more familiar
to many Australians as they feed on the leaves of many species of
eucalypt. When they are fully grown the caterpillars create
a stiff, bristly, egg-shaped cocoon where they may remain dormant
for several years before emerging as adults.
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