Giant Wood Moth from Australia

Subject”  Giant moth to be identified
Geographic location of the bug:  Kangaroo Ground, Victoria
Date: 02/08/2021
Time: 05:20 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This was on a tree in our yard yesterday 8 Feb 2021. It has been an unusually mild summer, with lower temperatures than usual. And last year we had more rain than usual. We wonder if this is a Giant Wood Moth, even though we are in Victoria. Photos include a closeup of the wings, a photo side-on showing environmental context and relative size to my husband who is 6’4″ tall (in which you should be able to see the striped body of the moth), and a photo of the remains of a cocoon on the same tree from which we believe it emerged. Hopefully this helps.
How you want your letter signed:  Thank you

Giant Wood Moth

We agree that this is a Giant Wood Moth, Endoxyla cinereus, and according to Butterfly House:  “The caterpillars pupate in their borehole. When the adult moth emerges, the empty pupal skin is left sticking out of the hole” as your one image illustrates.  According to Australian Museum:  “The Giant Wood Moth is the heaviest moth in the world, with some females weighing up to 30 grams.”

Exuvia of a Giant Wood Moth

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