Margareth
Not sure about the shaking.
As for telling the sex, if you mean the adult moths, the male should have wide feathered antennae, the female narrow ones. The male is also smaller, with a narrower body and has more "pointed" wings, while the female should have a very fat abdomen and is often larger overall, if you have both sexes together to compare.
If you mean the pupae, assuming you have taken them out of the cocoon, the male has four unbroken segments between the wing cases and the first different-looking segment showing the genitalia, and the female only three segments - this works for all the silkmoths and hawkmoths (and probably smaller things too if you have a hand lens!).
regards
Nick
one of my attacus atlas is shaking fervently from time to time. can anybody tell me what that means?
Most likely it got stirred 
and how can I tell the difference between a male and a female?
have a look here: Schwärmerunterscheidung
thank you all for your information.
I found it difficult to see the difference though between a male/female butterly. I have now two and one is really big (25 cm) with a huge body, so that with no doubt is a female. and the other one is a lot smaller (20cm) with somehat sharper wings. I didn't see very much difference between their antenaes. but since this smaller one laid eggs just this morning, it's clear 
the difference betwee the pupae and that I have to take them out of the cocoon is one step to far for me just jet. I had to take one out because he got stuck in his cocon and brrr, that was one experience enough for me as for taking butterflies out.
but the pictures are very helpful, great!!!
I hope that it's ok to ask so many questions. I browse the forum, but it's not easy for me reading the german language.
regards
Margareth
I hope that it's ok to ask so many questions.
You´re wellcome, Margareth. Ask for what you are looking for whenever you want!
Have a look to the pictures of these site: SATURNIIDAE World Homepage fr den Saturniidenfreund
There ´s a prepared pair you can see the different between male and female.
By
Rudi
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