I never saw anything like this before
August 31, 2009
I saw this bug on August 31 around 2:00 pm while I was at work. It seemed to be resting on the side of a wall next to a doorway. I thought it was a leaf at first but at a second glance I realized it wasn’t. I never saw a flying insect like this before especially around my area so I am curious as to know what it is.
Matthew S. Gremo
Philadelphia PA, USA
Battered Luna Moth
Hi Matthew,
This is a very battered Luna Moth that is missing its elegant tails. Though the tails are quite distinctive and lovely, they are not truly necessary for flight or survival. Since Luna Moths are tasty treats for birds and bats, we suspect the life of many a Luna Moth has been spared when a predator made off with a mouthful of wing rather than a fat succulent body. It is our opinion that the wing development of a Luna Moth is a highly evolved survival tactic. Luna Moths do not feed as adults, and die within a few days of emergence from the pupa. If losing the tails on the wings allows the adult moth to survive just a few hours longer, it will have time to mate and lay eggs, securing the production of a new generation.
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Posted 01 September 2009
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Luna Moth laying eggs
August 28, 2009
Thought you might be interested in seeing the coloration of this Luna just after laying her eggs.
Boyd
A little East of Shreveport, LA
Luna Moth laying Eggs
Hi Boyd,
We are very excited to post your image of a Luna Moth laying eggs.
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Posted 28 August 2009
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Eggs
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Beautiful green moth
August 21, 2009
I found this unusually large moth in July. It was 4 inches from tip to tip with green wings and gold antenna. Unfortunately, it was barely alive and died shortly after.
Peter
Central Virginia
Luna Moth: Dead of Natural Causes
Hi Peter,
This is a Luna Moth, what most people consider to be the most beautiful North American moth. At any rate, it is the most distinctive North American moth, and is not likely to be confused with any other native species by even the least observant individual. Luna Moths do not feed as adults and only live a few days, long enough to mate and lay eggs. Thanks for providing us with a view of the underside of the moth, a vantage we rarely receive.
Luna Moth: Dead of Old Age
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Posted 21 August 2009
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Luna Moth
August 11, 2009
I found this moth outside my home in Auburn, Alabama. It stayed in the same place for 2 days then disappeared. It is so beautiful that I made it my background on my computer.
Jessica
Auburn, AL
Luna Moth
Dear Jessica,
Thanks for sending us your lovely photo of a lovely Luna Moth.
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Posted 11 August 2009
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Butteryfly/Moth looking insect
August 2, 2009
I was camping over the weekend and came across this big moth/butteryfly type insect. It just stayed in that spot for hours then it left for sometime and then the next day it was back on a different spot on the cabin.
thanks
Labarr15
Old Forge, NY
Luna Moth
Dear Labarr15,
Now that you know that this is a Luna Moth, you should be able to find enough information online to fill a book, one of those things that we really need to continue writing.
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Posted 03 August 2009
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Luna moth
July 29, 2009
I found this Luna Moth May 8, 2009 approximately 730 am in Peoria, IL. I thought its colors were brilliant so I am passing it along.
j rox
Peoria, IL
- Luna Moth
Hi j,
We haven’t posted a photo of a Luna Moth recently, and your photo is so lovely, we couldn’t resist posting it.
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Posted 29 July 2009
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Luna Moth
Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 6:42 PM
My kids found this Luna Moth today in our old barn. They were so excited, they ran to my car when I got home. (I’ve tried to instill my love of bugs in them; it makes me happy when they get fired up about nature!) Luna is on a 2 x 4 roof truss (I hooked the tape measure on the truss and had my son hold it so I could take the second picture.) reading your website, this seems a little late in the year for Luna Moths in South Florida. It also appears to be a smaller one.
Poolmantdh
Bradenton, Florida
Luna Moth
Hi Poolmantdh,
In the southern portion of the range where the growing season is longer, there are two generations of Luna Moths each year. In the extreme southern portion of the range, where the end of the season is not marked with snowfall, the two generations may even have little or no obvious demarcation. BugGuide indicates that in Georgia, sightings have occurred from March through October.
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Posted 09 July 2009
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Promethia or Tulip tree?
Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Hello Wonderful Bug People.
Working at a horse farm in Uxbridge Ontario, many mornings provide Moths and Bugs that need ID. I love your site and we now have a group waiting for me to go home and identify, the beautiful and strange things we see. I have my trusty camera at the ready so I can compare with your photos. Thanks for help identifying a Giant Toe Biter, and Luna Moth.
We had this visitor last week. I was hoping it was a Promethia or a Tulip Tree, but thinking it is probably Cecropia?
Thanks for the great site, and helping us appreciate (no longer so icky) bugs.
I’ll send our Luna as well. It was huge.
I hope your camping trip was only buggy in a good way.
Leslie Tunnicliff / Archer’s Grove Farm
Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada
Cecropia Moth
Dear Leslie,
Your letter arrived while we were still in Northern California at a wedding, and we are trying desperately to post as many submissions as possible. Mail really piled up in our absence and it continues to arrive in droves daily. We are going through older submissions in search of a subject line we remembered because of an unusual posting of a Purplescent Longhorn we just posted, and we thought, perhaps, that the other letter might also contain an image of a Purplescent Longhorn. Needless to say, we stumbled upon some intriguing subject lines we missed previously, including yours. We were so touched by your kind letter we decided that we needed to take the time to post your letter and photo of a Cecropia Moth. The Luna Moth photo is also quite nice.
Luna Moth
big green moth
Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 7:01 AM
We’re in Petawawa, Onatario and recently have had several of these beautiful moths visit us. The smallest one we saw was bigger than any moth we’ve ever seen, and the largest spanned the palm of my hand.
Anderson Family
Petawawa, Ontario, Canada
Luna Moth
Dear Anderson Family,
Congratulations on your Luna Moth sightings. The Luna Moth, which is native to eastern North America from Florida to Canada, is probably the most distinctive North American Moth. It is unlikely that it could be confused with any other species. The Luna Moth is one of the Giant Silk Moths that only lives a few days as an adult, long enough to mate and lay eggs. It has no functional mouth parts and it cannot eat as an adult. Your sighting is our northernmost report this year. Florida sightings generally begin in February and as mild weather moves north, so do the Luna Moth emergences. The moth has spent its metamorphosis period in a pupa encased in a cocoon loosely spun around a leaf that falls to the ground and is buried in leaf litter.
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Posted 01 July 2009
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Luna Moth
Mon, May 25, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Hello, This morning 5.25.09 I was making my bed and opened my blinds that shows out to our front deck when I did I saw a bug that looked like a leaf.. so i took a picture and did some research and turns out it was the Canadian Luna Moth… I live in Maryland, does anyone know if it is common to see them here?? And this white moth was close by to it, is it a baby?? or a different moth.
Ashley A
Maryland
Luna Moth
Dear Ashley,
Luna Moths range over much of eastern North America, from Florida to Canada, and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. They are quite common in some parts of their range, and quite scarce in others. Maryland is part of the range, but as to whether they are common in your area is a matter that must be verified by local statistics. Luna Moths reach their adult size after emerging from the cocoon and expanding their wings. They do not grow as adults. The growth is accomplished during the caterpillar stage. The white moth is not a baby Luna Moth.
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Posted 25 May 2009
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Luna Moth?
Fri, May 22, 2009 at 6:43 PM
Hello! We are living in Northwest Florida now. Originally from Southern California. Lived In Hawaii for a total of 12 years. We thought we had seen a lot of amazing creatures, but this one was so beautiful! Wasn’t sure if it was a Luna Moth, but we looked at your website, and hoped we had narrowed it down. It didn’t seem to be as big as some people stated, but maybe it was young! I love your site, and refer to it for all the new things we encounter here! I found it on the back door mat.
Sheryl R.
Pensacola, Florida
Luna Moth
Dear Sheryl,
Your moth is indeed a Luna Moth. There is little likelihood that the Luna Moth would be confused with any other North American species. Since Luna Moths have an adult life of only a few days, and since the size of a Luna Moth is determined by the growth of the caterpillar and not the adult form, this moth has reached its maximum size. Not all Luna Moths are the same size and your specimen is just a smaller individual.
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Posted 23 May 2009
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Beautiful leaf looking bug
Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 6:54 PM
Dear bugman,
I have just moved to North Georgia from Omaha, Nebraska, and I am very excited to explore and find new insects that I have never seen before. My first new discovery is of this beautiful leaf looking bud. I am thinking it is some sort of moth but not sure? Any help in identifying this amazing insect would be much appreciated. Thank you for this awesome site that you provide!
Diana
North Georgia
Luna Moth
Hi Diana,
Congratulations on your Luna Moth sighting. This male is a lovely specimen. As warmer spring weather begins to move to the northern latitudes, we will be expecting our Luna Moth reports to be coming from further north as well. The Luna Moth’s range is the eastern U.S. and Canada. By mid May, we should be getting reports from Maine.
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Posted 13 April 2009
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