The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a truly stunning creature known for its striking appearance and fascinating behavior. With its large size, boasting a wingspan of 3-4.5 inches, and unique sea-foam green to yellow color, this North American native has captured the attention and admiration of moth enthusiasts everywhere. The moth’s name is derived from Luna, the Roman moon goddess, fitting for its nocturnal nature and moon-like markings on its wings.
Caterpillars of Luna Moths are known to feed on a variety of tree species, including walnut, birch, and persimmon. As they mature, these moths develop into striking adults with long tails on their hind wings and discal eyespots on both fore and hind wings. It’s interesting to note that Luna Moths have different numbers of yearly generations depending on the location – they can be univoltine, bivoltine, or even trivoltine.
One peculiar adaptation of Luna Moths is their ability to disrupt the sonar of hunting bats. The tails on their hind wings serve this purpose, while the caterpillars have been observed making clicking noises and vomiting as defense mechanisms against predators. These fascinating features contribute to making the Luna Moth a truly remarkable and captivating creature.
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Luna Moth Identification and Appearance
Physical Characteristics
- Large, feathery antennae
- Lime green or sea-foam green body
- Four wings with eyespots
- Long, tapering hindwing tails
The Luna Moth, Actias luna, is a fascinating and beautiful moth native to North America. Their most distinctive features are their large, feathery antennae, particularly in males.
Coloration and Markings
- Overall pale or lime green color
- Dark leading edge on forewings
- Eyespots on all four wings
The coloration of Luna Moths is striking and easily recognizable. Their overall color is a pale or lime green, with a dark leading edge on the forewings. All four wings feature eyespots that add to their unique appearance.
Wingspan and Size
- 3-4.5 inch wingspan
- Found across North America
- Larvae feed on white birch, hickory, and persimmon trees
The Luna Moth boasts an impressive wingspan of 3-4.5 inches, making them one of the most spectacular moths in North America. They can be found throughout the continent, with their larvae feeding on the foliage of trees such as white birch, hickory, and persimmon.
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Biology and Life Cycle
Eggs
Luna Moths lay eggs on host plants such as walnut, hickory, and sweet gum trees. The eggs are small, white or pale green, and typically hatch within 8 to 13 days.
Caterpillar
After hatching, the caterpillar eats its way through the host plant’s leaves, growing larger as it molts through five different stages. This caterpillar stage lasts for about 4 to 6 weeks. Some characteristics of the Luna Moth caterpillar include:
- Green body
- Yellow lines across the body
- Red or orange bumps
Pupa
At the end of the caterpillar stage, the Luna Moth forms a cocoon, usually on the ground among leaf litter. Inside the cocoon, the pupa stage takes place, during which the caterpillar transforms into an adult moth. This process can last about 2 to 3 weeks.
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Adult
Once the transformation is complete, the adult Luna Moth emerges from the cocoon. Adult Luna Moths showcase various distinctive features:
- Large wingspan of 3-4.5 inches
- Sea-foam green to yellow color
- Long tail-like extensions on hind wings
- Transparent spots on wings
Adult Luna Moths have a brief lifespan of just 7 to 10 days. In this time, they focus on mating and laying eggs to continue the life cycle. Since they don’t have functional mouthparts, adult Luna Moths don’t eat.
Comparison between Luna Moth stages:
| Stage | Duration | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 8-13 days | Small, white or pale green |
| Caterpillar | 4-6 weeks | Green, yellow lines, bumps |
| Pupa | 2-3 weeks | Inside cocoon |
| Adult | 7-10 days | Large wingspan, long tails |
27 Comments. Leave new
This is a luna moth larva (Actias luna) not a polyphemus. You can tell by the absence of the verticle yellow “stripes” that run through the spiracles of polyphemus larvae, not luna.
Thanks for this clarification. We often mix up these two caterpillars.
May 1 2011 Glen Ellyn IL. Just took a pic of a Luna moth at the base of a tree near the Prairie path hike & bike trail.
I have a photo of a Luna Moth which I took 06.04.11 in New Hampshire. I would like to pst the picture but do not know how you would want me to do that. Please advise.
Frank Ricciardi
fjrnh@comcast.net
WE HAVE THEM IN SOUTHERN MD. TO.
Renaissance art had a greatly increased emphasis on the realistic depiction of the material world, and the place of humans in it, reflected in the corporeality of the human body, and development of a systematic method of graphical perspective to depict recession in a three-dimensional picture space.””..^
My very own web site
<http://healthmedicinejournal.com/
Renaissance art had a greatly increased emphasis on the realistic depiction of the material world, and the place of humans in it, reflected in the corporeality of the human body, and development of a systematic method of graphical perspective to depict recession in a three-dimensional picture space.””..^
My very own web site
<http://healthmedicinejournal.com/
These are one of the most beautiful creatures on earth!
It’s so cute :3 yet so scary at the same time
Found one in driveway 11/3/2013. Beautiful!
And I just found one that has yellow spots on its back was about 3 inches long and about an inch round and I’d like to know what it turns into and what it likes to eat I don’t have it in captivity I I put it outside outside yard and I have a garden and I’m curious is if it’s been attracted to do my garden
Without an image, it is difficult to say what your caterpillar will become.
I’m in Northern Utah and just watched a scrub jay grab this caterpillar off the lawn and dance around with it while killing it to eat. Quite a feast!
We don’t believe it was a Luna Moth that far west. BugGuide reports the Luna Moth as far west as Texas.
I’m curious is this the Luna Moth Caterpillar? I have a picture just not sure how to attach it. If you email me I can send you the picture
You may submit images by using the Ask What’s That Bug? link on our site.
Have just found one of these caterpillars in my Lilac tree. I believe above comments are from USA. I live in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England. Is it likely they live in both countries? Do they cause any problems?
The Luna Moth is not found in the UK, unless a breeder accidentally released them into the wild. We suspect you found a Great Peacock Moth caterpillar which is pictured on UK Moths.
FOUND a Luna moth caterpillar in my yard today in Jackson, Michigan. 9-21-16 at approximately 6pm
We had a female luna moth land on our front porch last night, She is stiil there today. We are waiting to see if a male shows up soon. We are in east point Ga, just outside of Atl.
I just found one of these beautiful babies today. Except I noticed that mine had 3 small black dots on its so called neck next to its head. Either way it sure was beautiful. 9/17/2017
Temple, Georgia
Last evening I found a HUGE luna moth caterpillar (4-5″ long at least) climbing very slowly up a wooden post near my front door. He/she was beautiful and obviously well-fed. I live in Missouri, and the temperature in the mornings lately has lowered to the low 50’s. I checked on it this morning, and it looks like it’s trying to wedge itself into a space between old wooden beams. I heard this moth is endangered. Hope to see the beautiful Luna (moon) moth emerge in the spring.
i live in the AZ desert and found one of these on my patio where I have flower gardens. What kind of ‘worm’ is this anyway and what does it feed on? All the blossoms in my petunia garden have been eaten and all the new (baby) leaves on my hollyhocks have been eaten. I don’t know what I’m looking for but there was this huge thing on the ground today!
The Luna Moth is not a western species and it is not found west of Texas based on BugGuide data. You must have observed a different species. You may submit images by using the Ask What’s That Bug? link on our site.
I live in Detroit Michigan I found One today, a Very Large luna Caterpillar 4-5 inches long very Huge , I reserved him in a jar with sticks and a leaf I put holes in the top of the jar and put him in the dark I was very curious of what type of caterpillar it was and read up on it and found out it will become a Beautiful moth not Butterfly my husband is freaking out Lol but once it becomes a Luna moth I will let him go
We stopped using pesticides this year , & have seen a lovely luna as well as a little toad input garden. Glad we made that choice!?
kids at our shoo see this and kill them stomp on then and pull their wings off it horrible