Insect and Spider Identification: CLOSED: What kind of a Moth is this? , 0 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Story---
Last Sunday, as I was about to enter my HD (I work there) there was this amazing, beautiful Moth just sitting on the concrete floor near the front door. SO colorful! One of my managers came by and he took a photo of it with his phone.
This Moth was not able to fly--it just sat there VERY slowly waving it's wings. I was sure it was near the end of it's life...
I wanted to save it until it passed on--and then keep it....

So--I took it inside and kept it in a small bucket all day.
Then took it home in a food container---then had it in a cake container with a 4" dome on it.....Of course--in the process--there were times it thrashed around a bit....did a bit of damage....

Then--as it was not about to die--I put it in the fridge for a day and a half (someone told me to do that)--but when i took it out, it was still moving it's wings....

Next--i put it inside a big wicker basket and wrapped a lace tablecloth all over it and took it outside under my patio.
I kept checking on it every day--but it was still alive....

Today, Thursday, I went and looked--and it was finally dead....also a lot of damage to the wing tips and all over...
Perhaps it had been dead for a couple of days already--or perhaps it had flown around and thrashed a lot.....anyway--it looks pathetic.

Checked all 16 pages in PF under Moths. Did not see one like it.
Took some pictures today--and will attach them here....

What is/was it?
Is it rare?
And--I would like to know the life progression of a moth. Do they lay eggs and then die? At what state do you think this one might have been in? Since it could not fly--I thought it was soon going to die.....

Thanks---Gita

Here is the top view of it. If the wings were intact--the span would be 6".