Adults of the mopane worm are large and robust moths with wingspans of approximately 120 mm. Wing colouration varies from fawn to shades of green and brown to red. White and black bands isolate the eyespots on both fore- and hind wings. The orange eyespots on the hind wings are much larger than the eyespots on the forewings. Male moths possess feathery antennae, with which they detect the presence of females. Larvae (caterpillars) are large, up to about 100 mm in length and about 10 mm in diameter. They are black in colour with round scales in indistinct, alternating reddish, yellowish and whitish bands and they are armed with short reddish or black spines, which are covered in fine white hairs.