Spanish Moon Moth

Graellsia isabellae, the Spanish Moon Moth, is in the silkmoth family Saturniidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Graellsia. The species was first described by Mariano de la Paz Graells y de la Agüera in 1849 and the genus was erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1896.

It is famous for the way the veins in its wings are highlighted with dark brown on the outside and filled in with reddish-brown on the inside. It is found in the woodlands of Spain and the Pyrenees Mountains. This gives the pale wings the appearance of broken stained glass. Additionally, each wing has an eyespot. The eyespot has two halves, a yellow and a purple one, with white centers. Males have longer tails on their hind wings and more angular, butterfly-like forewings than females, which are larger overall. Also more feathery are his antennae. The hindwings of the female have lobes. The moth's wingspan ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches. The caterpillar eats pine needles, but only pine needles from its native habitat.