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The ubiquitous Luna Moth…
Bossier Parish, Louisiana. Felt it was notable for the fact I had such strong sunlight for the shot…on a macro lens digital camera… …I see you have plenty to choose from…thought I’d throw one more in…
Lawrence
Hi Lawrence,
Thanks for your photo of a beautiful Luna Moth.
luna moth
Saw this beautiful creature on the side of a building today while walking downtown. Had heard if you ever seen a Luna Moth that you will know but had no idea they were SO gorgeous!! Rushed home to research and drove back for a pic. Your site was my first hit. Had no idea these were even native to East Texas. Thanks for being here! Enjoy All.
W. Shepherd,
Wells, Texas
Hi there W.,
We are starting to see the Luna Moth photos arrive from the Southern portion of their range. They surely are gorgeous moths. We are thrilled to be able to post something green for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Luna Moth
Took a pic of this Luna Moth on February 27, 2007, just north of Houston, Tx
Lynne
Hi Lynne,
This is the first official Luna Moth photo we have received this year, and it is a gorgeous photo..
Luna Moth & Mate????
We Own A cottage business and found this Luna Moth on one of our cottage piers one morning. If you notice in the picture under the Luna Moth there is another Moth. Is this her mate and is it also a Luna Moth? You have a very nice site with a lot of information! Thank You
Linda Blais
Hi Linda,
Thanks for sending in your photo and question. This is not an extreme example of sexual dimorphism. The Luna Moth on top is a different species from the Great Poplar Sphinx below. This is also not an example of miscegenation. We suspect the two moths from entirely different families were attracted to a light and were found resting in close proximity the following morning.
Luna Moth
How wonderful to find your site!! I was searching for more information about the Luna Moth. I have a picture that I took back in Aug. 2005 that I treasure. It is hard to describe how excited one can get when you see something in your yard that is so incredibly awesome as this beauty. All you can think of is "GET the CAMERA" I did & I got several shots that bright sunny day In my quest to find info later, I learned what I had seen, and that it is a very rare sighting, so I felt especially fortunate indeed. But now that I have found your site; not only do I have more accurate info, [Thank you for that] but I see that you have "LOTS" of pictures during 2005 & 2006 So I guess my question is this- Just how ‘rare’ is rare and are these beautiful creatures perhaps increasing in population? Wouldn’t that be COOL ?!! Going to try again- maybe this time I will get it right when I send you the photo. [sending more angle shots from that day as well] Thank you for your time& patience.
Deborah Glenn
North Carolina
Hi Deborah,
Thank you for resending your photos. We have seen information listing the Luna Moth as endangered, but in a true sense, all life on the planet is endangered. Sightings on some years might be more rare than on other years, and recent years seem to have shown an increase in sightings, though that might be due to the ubiquity of the digital camera and the universal access to the internet. Nonetheless, your sighting is a wonderful event that you may never have a chance to repeat, so you have the photos to reinforce the memory.
Male Actias Luna in January?
Hi Bugman,
Thanks for your dedication to the inspiring and educational "What’s That Bug?" website. You are sparking the entomologist in every viewer’s heart- whether they knew they had it in them or not! This beautiful moth appears to be an Actias Luna and I think it is a male. Because it is appearing in January, I am wondering if it is an example of an earlier generation for this year or if you think it is an added generation from last year? Either way, it is supposed to be dormant in an "overwinter" stage but there is no winter to over! Thanks again for your assistance! I look forward to your reply – if time allows.
Jessica Madden
Education Specialist
The Tampa Tribune
News In Education
Hi Jessica,
Insects that have defined generations generally have individuals that appear out of season. Also, the emergence patterns will change if the winter is warmer or colder than normal. This is most definitely a Luna Moth. Congratulations on a wonderful sighting.
Unidentified Caterpiller
Came across this larvae while out hunting yesterday evening. To give you an idea of the length of the caterpillar, the arrow broadhead next to the caterpiller is right at about 2 inches long. Figure the larvae is about 3 inches. Nearest I can tell, its some sort of silkwork moth. I perused thru your archives and found this exact caterpiller, submitted on 9/9/04. However, the caterpillar could not be identified. Hopefully, this is a little better photo for you to work with. Its got me stumped, as I used to raise Polyphemus and Cecropias, and this don’t look like either! Thanks!
Cameron
Hi Cameron,
We believe this is a Luna Moth Caterpillar.
Luna Moths Mating
Hey!
I got this great shot of two luna moths mating at work today. They stayed together for a very long time. Thought you’d enjoy it. Love your website! It’s always the first place I go to when I’m researching bugs.
Sheila Bragg
Rincon, GA
Hi Sheila,
What a positively beautiful image of mating Luna Moths. Thanks for sending it to us.
unknown bug
Bugman,
I know you are overwhelmed, but can you help me out with this bug. It is about 5 inches across and very flat.
Dennis Mc Donald
Hi Dennis,
The Luna Moth is probably our most unmistakably unique native moth.
Moth?
We saved this very pretty, very large, moth from being dinner for my chickens. Could you help me indentify it? Thanks,
Kristin Maynard
Winston Salem,NC
Hi Kristin,
We have been posting images of Luna Moths on our homepage since May, and it always makes us a bit sad to remove a beautiful image to make room for new letters, but just like a missed bus, another comes along soon enough. We are happy to have your interesting angle on our homepage for a few days before it takes a more permanent place on our Luna Moth page.
Luna Moths (again!)
My apologies. I inserted the photo instead of attaching it. Hope it finds you this time. Thanx again,
R.G. Marion
Ed. Note: R.G. sent us a very nice letter and no image was attached. We requested that she resend the letter and attach the image as we really wanted to post the mating Luna Moth photo she described. She resent the image, but not with the original letter which has vanished into the black hole of our mailbox system. We are now posting her wonderful photo and are awaiting her to resend her great letter. Sadly, it is nearly impossible, with the the mail volume we receive, to put things together piecemeal. In most cases, we would give up and not make additional requests, but the nature of this particular image warrents the time, frustration, and multiple posting requirements that the piecemeal sending necessitates. Sadly, it now limits the number of letters that will get a response today.
As per your request ~ don’t mean to waste your time!
Hello Bugman,
This photo is a couple of years old, but I still find it intriguing. Not only would it make a nice addition to your “BUG LOVE” page, but I have a nagging question about the photo itself: It looks as if there’s more than one connection between the two moths. Could you tell me if there is actually something, visible, passing between the them? There appears to be… just my imagination? These beauties were suspended over the entrance to my garage (with spider passing by) in Cosby, TN ~ The Great Smoky Mountains. With thanx for your time,
R.G. Marion
Luna Moth Images
I don’t know if you want any more Luna Moth photos, but this one is from the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire, USA. Not being a bug person, I must admit that when the insect whapped me in the head and then landed on our lantern, I screamed like a 5 year-old girl. With kind regards,
Norm Mowry
Hi Norm,
Seeing as we just removed the “old” Luna Moth image from our homepage, your letter and amusing photo arrived just in time.
