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
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.