Actias ningpoana, commonly known as the Chinese moon moth, is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae. The species was first described by father-and-son entomologists Cajetan and Rudolf Felder in 1862.
It is a large moth with long, curved hindwing tails. There are many congeners across Asia; the Luna moth (A. luna) of eastern Canada and the United States is closely related.
Taxonomy Actias ningpoana (Felder & Felder) was regarded as a subspecies of Actias selene, but was recently recognized as a separate species by Ylla et al. (2005).
Range China (Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan) (Zhu & Wang, 1996, 1996. Fauna Sinica Insecta 5 Lepidoptera: Bombycidae, Saturniidae, Thyrididae. Beijing: Sciences Press. x + 302 pp. ) Russia (far east) (Zolotuhin & Chuvilin, 2009, 2009. On the species compound of the genus Actias Leach, 1815 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) of Russia. Eversmannia 19:21-31 ) India – Western Ghats
Life cycle Larvae are typically fleshy, with clumps of raised bristles. The pupa develops in a silken cocoon or in the soil. Adults lack functional mouthparts, and their lifespan is measured in days. They have small heads, densely hairy bodies, and wingspans ranging from 13 to 15 centimeters.
Hosts In Hong Kong, A. ningpoana has been reared on camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) (Hill et al., 1982, 1982. Insects of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. xxv + 502 pp. as Arctias [sic] selene), sweetgum (Liquidambar formosana) (Barretto, 2004, 2004. Check list of plants at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. Hong Kong: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Corporation. xxviii + 232 pp. ), Hibiscus, Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) and willow (Salix babylonica) (Yiu, 2006, 2006. Insecta Hongkongica. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Lepidopterists' Society & Hong Kong Discovery. 656 pp.)
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