‘Never seen caterpillars this huge’: Atlas Moth larvae spotted at Yishun Park
A Yishun Park visitor was stunned to come across a group of “huge” caterpillars munching on plants and wondered if the unusual-looking insects could eventually eat their way through the park.
Stomper Ilya spotted the caterpillars at Yishun Park on Aug 14, between 3pm and 6pm.
“They were huge. We have never seen caterpillars like this before in Singapore,” Ilya told Stomp.
The caterpillars were seen feeding on plants, prompting Ilya to search online for more information.
The Stomper suspected the caterpillars could be Atlas Moth larvae, whose adult moths can grow to an impressive size.
“I was worried that this huge species will eat the whole park,” Ilya quipped.
Experts: Adult moths rely on energy gathererd from larval stage
When contacted by Stomp, the Entomological Network of Singapore (ENSING) confirmed that the caterpillars are indeed the larvae of the Atlas Moth.
The moth is native to Singapore and is not considered rare or threatened locally. “Their apparent abundance can also be quite localised and episodic,” added ENSING.
“A suitable host tree may support several caterpillars at the same time, making them suddenly very conspicuous, while they may go largely unnoticed elsewhere,” explained the society.
ENSING noted that Ilya’s sighting of the caterpillars is reminiscent of a similar occurrence in 2017, when a large number of Atlas Moth caterpillars were seen feeding on a tree along Yishun Ring Road.
“Given the previous observations from Yishun, it is interesting to see them turning up prominently in the area again almost a decade later,” ENSING shared.
The society explained that the caterpillars are “impressive feeders” that can consume a considerable amount of foliage as they grow.
“This is part of their normal life cycle, particularly important because the adult Atlas Moth does not feed and instead relies on energy reserves accumulated during its larval stage.”
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