Robert Thompson / African golden emperor moth (Gonimbrasia krucki), close up of male head , Kenya, Africa Controlled conditions.

Alex Hyde / Silk moth (Automeris zugana) sequence 1 of 2, photographed on a white background in mobile field studio, Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range, Caribbean Slopes, Costa Rica.

Alex Hyde / Silk moth (Automeris zugana) sequence 2 of 2, with wings open to reveal eyespots, a means of deterring predators, photographed on a white background in mobile field studio, Cordillera de Talamanca mou...

Alex Hyde / Emperor moth(Saturnia pavonia) female, Peak District National Park, UK. May.

Alex Hyde / Emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) female wide angle view showing heather moorland habitat. Peak District National Park, UK. April.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavoniella) male, on tree bark, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, April

Mark MacEwen / Mopane moth (Imbrasia belina) eggs hatching, Tuli Block, Botswana

MYN / Seth Patterson / Forbes' silkmoth (Rothschildia forbesi) Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA, October. meetyourneighbours.net project

Alex Hyde / African moon moth (Argema mimosae) digital composite sequence, showing wings expanding after emerging from cocoon, photographed against a white background, orginating from Africa. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Indian moon / Indian luna moth (Actias selene) photographed on a white background. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Apollo silkmoth (Ceranchia apollina) close up of cocoon showing silk fibres, originating from Madagascar. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Cricula silkmoth (Cricula trifenestrata) close up of cocoon showing silk fibres originating from Southeast Asia. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Indian moon / Indian luna moth (Actias selene) head-on view showing feather-like antennae. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Indian moon / Indian luna Moth (Actias selene) close up of defensive spines on caterpillar. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Silk moth (Saturniidae) cocoon, used in textile production, photographed on a white background. Maroantsetra, Northeast Madagascar.

Ingo Arndt / Atlas moth caterpillar with wax coating for protection from parasites {Attacus atlas} Malaysia

Elio Della Ferrera / Atlas moth {Attacus atlas} on nurse plant Sri Lanka

Christian Ziegler / Saturniid Moth (Periphoba arcaei) caterpillar with false head, Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Steve Gettle / Io Moth (Automeris io), Huron Meadows Metropark, Michigan

Chien Lee / Madagascar Moon Moth (Argema mittrei) male, Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Saturniid Moth (Gonimbrasia zambesina) caterpillar, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Thomas Marent / Saturniid Moth (Rhodinia fugax) male, Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China

Konrad Wothe / Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas), native to southeast Asia

Chien Lee / Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) male, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Chien Lee / Saturniid Moth (Loepa megacore), Mount Kinabalu National Park, Borneo, Malaysia

Ingo Arndt / Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) caterpillar, close up of head

Pete Oxford / Madagascar Moon Moth (Argema mittrei) male on Jamun (Eugenia jambolana) leaves in the eastern highlands south of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) camouflaged in leaf litter in rainforest, Yasuni National Park, at 982,000 hectares, the largest national park in Ecuador

Tim Fitzharris / Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) on Delphinium, New Mexico

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Suraka Silk Moth (Antherina suraka) portrait, showing back with wings spread displaying shades of pink, Madagascar

Norbert Wu / Io Moth (Automeris io) a member of the Giant Silkworm Moth family, eyespots may serve to scare away predators, Florida

Jasper Doest / Io Moth (Automeris io) eyespot on wing, George West, Texas

Robert Thompson / Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) resting on a tree trunk, Thailand. Controlled conditions.

Robert Thompson / Thai oak silkmoth (Antheraea frithi) resting on a mossy branch, Thailand. Controlled Conditions.

Robert Thompson / Male Pink spirit moth (Actias rhodopneuma) resting on mossy branch, Cao Bang Province, Vietnam. Controlled conditions

Robert Thompson / Birch emperor moth (Rinaca lindia) resting on a tree trunk, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan.

Robert Thompson / Large eyed emperor moth (Nudaurelia macrothyris) resting on a branch, Dzalanyama Forest, Malawi, Africa. Controlled conditions.

Robert Thompson / Male Spanish moon moth (Graellsia isabellae) close up of forewing eyespot, Switzerland.

Robert Thompson / Snake's head moth (Epiphora intermedia) resting on mossy tree trunk, Kenya, Africa. Controlled conditions.

Robert Thompson / Regal moth (Citheronia regalis) resting on leaf with black background.

Robert Thompson / Calleta silkmoth (Eupackardia calleta) resting on a mossy branch, Texas, USA. Controlled conditions.

Edwin Giesbers / Close up of Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) wing detail. Captive.

Colin Varndell / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) caterpillar, Dorset, UK, July.