About Thysania agrippina Cramer, 1776
Thysania agrippina is a moth species that belongs to the family Erebidae. Maria Sibylla Merian first illustrated and documented this species in her 1705 publication Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, and Pieter Cramer published the formal scientific description of the species in 1776. The most widely accepted common English name for this species is the white witch. Additional common names include ghost moth, great gray witch, and great owlet moth. Thysania agrippina is often noted as a contender for the title of world's largest insect. When measured by wingspan, it holds this record: a specimen collected in Brazil has a recorded wingspan of almost 30 cm (12 in), which is the current largest recorded wingspan among moths. However, two other moth species, the Atlas moth and the Hercules moth, have larger total wing area than Thysania agrippina. The white witch's range extends from Uruguay in the south to Mexico in the north. Individuals have also been recorded as stray visitors as far north as Texas, United States. Analysis of collection dates for recorded specimens shows no clear pattern related to collection location or season.
