Keep your Mouth Shut

Imagine you are an Atlas moth and you just hatched out of your cocoon.  You start flying around and then you suddenly become  hungry.  You fly over to the nearest flower too go get a drink of nectar.  As you go to take a sip, you realize that your mouth parts aren't developed and that you have to rely on the fat you stored when you were a larva.  Then you fly away, knowing that you will die of starvation in the next two weeks.

Because of their lack of mouth parts, the Atlas moth must eat as much as possible when they are caterpillars.  While in their larval state, they mainly consume the leaves of certain citrus and evergreen trees.  They only have a couple of weeks to bulk up for their time as an adult.  The caterpillars are green with white "spines" and can grow up to 4.5 inches before they pupate.

Once they have enough food, they form silk-like  cocoons.  The silk they produce is not actually silk but a stronger substance simply referred to Fagara silk.  They spend about four weeks developing until they emerge from their cocoons.

When they come out, they are adults.  An adult female's wingspan can reach up to 12 inches long; the male is usually smaller.  Their wings are usually maroon and have translucent patches on them.  Their large wings are disproportionate to their bodies.  Their bodies are small and usually "furry".

All in all, this moth is the biggest moth in the world, with arguably the biggest defect in the world.  This proves that just because you are big, doesn't mean that you are perfect.

Further Reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacus_atlas

http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/thelargest/butterflyandmoth.html

http://www.cirrusimage.com/Moths_Atlas.htm

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/inverts/atlas_moth.htm