Thysania agrippina

Description

Thysania agrippina is a species of moth in the Erebidae family. The most commonly accepted common name is white witch ("polilla bruja blanca"). Other common names include mariposa emperador, ghost moth, great grey witch, and great owlet moth. Thysania agrippina is of interest as a competitor for title of "largest insect." This may be true by the measure of wingspan--a Brazilian specimen with a wingspan of almost 30 cm (12 in) appears to hold the record. The Atlas moth and Hercules moth, however, have greater wing areas. The white witch occurs from Uruguay to Mexico, and appears as a stray as far north as Texas in the U.S. Collection dates shows no discernible pattern with respect to location or season.