rss Luna Moth
Location: Tarpon Springs, Florida
October 28, 2011 8:58 am
Dear bugman,
We had a visit from a luna month this morning. Is it common to see them in Tarpon Springs, Florida? I live in Tampa but work here and I have never seen one of these before!
Signature: Amber
Luna Moth
Hi Amber,
The thing about Luna Moths is that they are quite common in parts of their range and noticeably absent from other parts of their range. We don’t know how frequently they are sighted in Tarpon Springs.
Mothra!
Location: Spring Valley, AR
August 4, 2011 2:00 am
Came across this moth two days ago, landed on me so i snapped a picture.
no idea what kind largest i’ve seen in our area.
Signature: Ty
Luna Moth
Hello Ty,
One of our favorite yearly activities is to mark the advent of spring using Luna Moth sightings across its range. According to BugGuide: “In the United States this species has been found in every state east of the Great Plains” and there is “One brood in the north, May-July. Three broods in the south, March-September.” Each year, our earliest sightings generally come from Texas and Florida, and by June, we are getting reports from Maine and Canada as warm weather hits the northern latitudes. While the spring brood tends to provide us with the most sightings in the south, we also like to indicate later broods, and your letter is the first we have posted of a later southern brood.
Luna Moth
Location: Freeport Maine
July 24, 2011 10:42 am
I discovered a Luna Moth on my barn door. It stayed with us 3 days before a 2nd one appeared. They stayed an additional day and a half for a total of 4 1/2 days for the first and 1 1/2 days for the 2nd. I understand it is very rare to see one, let alone 2 in the same place at the same time. We live in Maine and this is the first time we have ever seen one before.
Signature: Lisa in Maine
Luna Moth
Hi Lisa,
Luna Moths have a relatively extensive range, and each year we get numerous reports. While they have a large range, the population does not seem to be distributed evenly. In areas where conditions are favorable and food plants are available, they can be quite plentiful. Reports indicate that Maine is a location where populations of Luna Moths can be quite dense.
Luna Moths
Luna Moth – New Brunswick, Canada
Location: Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, Canada
July 7, 2011 11:36 pm
While my husband was locking the garage late tonight (12:30 am)he saw what he thought was a green bird. It flew past him and landed on our window ledge.
When he got closer he realized it was a moth, one he had never seen before. He grabbed the camera and took the attached photos.
I did an internet search to try to identify the moth and came across your website. Based on the information we see on your site, we believe this is a Luna Moth.
This is the largest moth either of us has seen before. It is also the most beautiful shade of green. We hope it will still be there in the morning when we might get better photos.
We wanted to share this with you.
Signature: Two Canucks
Luna Moth
Dear Two Canucks,
The Luna Moth is surely a glorious creature. Now that it is July, we can expect to begin receiving reports of the second generation of Luna Moths from the southern portion of the range.
what is this??
Location: Irwin, Pennsylvania
June 3, 2011 12:32 pm
Dear Mr. Bugman,
My friend saw this scary bug outside of his home. What is it? I assumed it was some sort of moth. Am I right? Any information would be greatly much appreciated…
Signature: Kat
Luna Moth
Dear Kat,
We cannot understand how anyone could view the ethereal Luna Moth as a scary bug. Your photos tend to indicate that this lovely female Luna Moth was not on the tire when the vehicle moved, which comforts us. Your identification request will post live to our website on June 14 during our absence.
Luna Moth
Luna moth and rosy maple moths
Location: Strong, Maine
June 7, 2011 7:23 pm
A luna moth appeared last evening (6/6/11)on my garage at about 9:00pm. It remained there today, and I noticed 3 rosy maple moths just a few inches from the luna. Is it coincidental that these two types of moths are together, or is there some reason for there being with each other? By the way, I am in Strong, Maine (Franklin County), so I think my luna is further north than the Vermont luna on your homepage…thanks!
Signature: miamimom
Luna Moth
Dear miamimom,
Thanks for notifying us of your sightings. If conditions like temperature and humidity are correct for the metamorphosis from the pupa to adult of these two species, then they would emerge at the same time. We do not believe there is any other symbiotic relationship between the two. The colors of pale pink and yellow are often described as looking like sherbet by our readers and that combined with the pale green, somewhat like pistachio ice cream, reminds us of the color scheme we always relate to an ice cream parlor. These moths must look beautiful together.
Rosy Maple Moth
LUNA MOTH in fredericton, new brunswick, Canada
Location: Fredericton, New brunswick, Canada
June 6, 2011 5:00 pm
Dear Bugman,
I found this BEAUTIFUL specimen the other day on my way to work here up IN Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. I have NEVER seen such BEAUTIFUL MOTH AROUND HERE BEFORE. I believe it to be a LUNA MOTH if i am not mistaken? are these perdy fellows supposed to be this far up north? is it true they only live SEVEN days?
wow, i count myself blessed to have seen and held such a perdy specimen! I couldn’t help but smile as it flew off my hand and away.
Signature: Facinated in Canada
Luna Moth in Canada
Good morning Fa[s]cinated in Canada,
Thanks so much for reporting your Canadian sighting of a Luna Moth. Each year, we enjoy tracking the appearances of Luna Moths beginning with the Southernmost reaches of the range in Texas and Florida, generally in February. As spring weather conditions move north, the Luna Moth sightings come in subsequent months until they culminate with sightings in Maine and Canada in late May and early June. In the south, a second generation often flies in the late summer or early autumn with the second generation passing the winter as a pupa. The individuals from the north also pass the winter as a pupa after the caterpillar forms a cocoon using a leaf that usually falls to the ground where it is covered in fallen leaves and eventually snow.
Luna Moth in Northern Vermont
Location: South Burlington VT
June 5, 2011 4:50 pm
On a home in South Burlington, Vermont
Signature: VtSkier
Luna Moth
Dear VtSkier,
Thanks for sending us your photo. This is our most northerly sighting this year and our first letter from Vermont in a very very long time.
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