The tussar silk moth belongs to the family Saturniidae, whose members are collectively known as saturniids. They are among the largest and most spectacular of the butterfly family, among which 1,300 to 1,500 species are found all over the world.

The tussar silk moth is brightly coloured with translucent eye-spots or window-like patterns on its wings. Males can always be distinguished from their female counterparts by their thin, slender abdomens and large, feather-like antennae.

During the monsoon season, a female lays up to 200 eggs on a chosen food plant. The larvae are large, green, stout and cylindrical. A tussar silk moth’s cocoon attached to a tree branch is well camouflaged and resembles a small nut.