Death Of A Moth

Found this big, beautiful moth by a window along the street, dead.

It is Samia cynthia, the ailanthus silkmoth, is a saturniid moth, used to produce silk fabric but not as domesticated as the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The moth has very large wings of 113–125 mm (4.4–4.9 in), with a quarter-moon shaped spot on both the upper and lower wings, whitish and yellow stripes and brown background. There are eyespots on the outer forewings. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773.

Perhaps its death has something to do with the extremely hot summer's heat.

Location: Torino

Turin Museum of Natural History

The Turin Museum of Natural History (Italian: Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino or MRSN) was established in 1978 to house the natural history collections of the University of Turin and other collections of natural history, originated from specific research campaigns and donations. It is located at 36 Via Giolitti, Turin, in a 17th-century building which used to be the hospital of San Giovanni Battista, build by Amedeo di Castellamonte.

The museum has departments (sezioni) of zoology, entomology, botany, minerals, geology and paleontology. It also has a specialist library and an exhibition centre. 

The Museum was closed for an extended period due to explosion of gas tank. It was then re-opened last year.

This year,  for the entire month of August, admission to the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences of Turin is free. This is an opportunity to experience one of the leading museums dedicated to biodiversity, housed in a 17th-century building that once housed the San Giovanni Battista Hospital, designed by Amedeo di Castellamonte and completed by other important architects of the time. The scientific collections, open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, document the evolution of life on Earth through fossils, minerals, taxidermied animals, and remarkable naturalistic specimens. During the month of free admission, some rooms will undergo renovations, but the museum will continue to operate as usual. The initiative is part of a broader summer calendar of scientific culture, designed for a diverse audience attentive to the value of dissemination.

 Location :  Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino