Subject: Luna Moth
Location: Pulaski Twp Pa
June 1, 2014 6:56 pm
Hi..
This beauty was on my screen door in the morning 6/1/2014. We live in Western PA (Pulaski Twp). One of my friends told me it’s a luna moth. I have never seen anything like this before.
Signature: CeeJay
Dear CeeJay,
Is there still a Flea Market in Pulaski on Thursday mornings? You were correctly informed. This is a male Luna Moth. His feathery antennae help him to scent out the pheromones of a prospective mate withing at least a mile. We believe it is that ability that has allowed the Luna Moth to survive habitat loss. This guy may have difficulty flying to a mate he is able to sense because he appears to have lost a rear wing, perhaps to a bird that went for the fluttering tail. We are featuring your submission as our favorite images of a Luna Moth yet this year. You should check out these images of mating Luna Moths from our archive.
Hi Daniel,
Yes the flea market is still held on Thursdays no too far from my home! Sounds like you know the area well. Thanks for the info on the Luna Moth. I did some reading after seeing him and was actually sad to read of their short life span. On the other hand I am happy that I had the opportunity to see him up close! I will definitely check out the images at the link in your email.
Regards,
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
I grew up just the other side of the Ohio State Line and I spent much of the 1970s at the Pulaski Flea Market in the summer.
I ran into one of these guys at my bank, all wings intact. What an awesome looking moth. My bank is in Hackettstown New Jersey, so a ways off from Pulaski. The woman who worked at the bank pointed it out to me when she went to get the mail. I took a couple of pictures and they are fun to show at work.