Luna Moth (Actias luna)

Luna moths are one of the most striking of the North American Saturniidae. Well-known for their green-yellow colors and long tails, they are often seen in pictures but a real surprise when found in nature. Although they are common throughout the eastern U.S., their night flying habits and short life span as an adult moth (about 1 week) combine to make them a rare find. Contrary to some sources, such as MS Encarta, Luna moths are not to my knowledge an endangered species. In fact, I get more e-mail from people finding Luna moths than any others on my Web page.

Over the last few years of having this page up, numerous people have contacted us about finding lunas, and many have offered ova or cocoons. They tend to appear early in the southern states, usually about March or April. There are probably three broods per year in thee regions. In the more northern states, there are two broods per year. The coloration of the wing edge is darker in moths that have overwintered in cocoons. Moths that do not overwinter normally have a more pinkish appearance to the edge of the forewings.

The caterpillars eat many kinds of tree leaves. Our experience has shown that sweetgum, walnut, and persimmon are the best.

As with all Saturniidae moths, the luna does all its eating in the larva stage. The adult moth has no mouth and cannot eat. It ranges throughout the eastern half of the United States to Iowa and Missouri, sometimes extending into the central states.

Click on any of the thumbnails to get a larger picture.

	The Luna eggs (they are on a brown bag that the moth was placed in to lay the eggs. This makes it easy to recover the eggs).
	Here are the first instar luna caterpillars about 3 days after hatching. It's hard to tell from the picture, but mostare green with dark green sides. About 20% of the caterpillars are all the lighter shade of green.
	These are 5th instar caterpillars. The luna caterpillar is mostly a lime green with a whitish stripe running down each side. The head is brown and there are tiny red and white filaments on its back.
	Luna cocoons are lightly woven, usually integrating leaves and other debris as part of the cocoon. The cocoons will often have a line of small holes on one side. The pupa can often be seen through the cocoon when held up to a strong light.
The adult Luna moth is indeed a beautiful sight. The wingspan is 4-5 inches with tails often reaching 3 inches in length. Its lime green color is rather unusual for butterflies and moths. Its sheer white body is strongly contrasted with maroon-pink legs. The top outside of the wing also has this shade of maroon-pink. The small eyespots on the wings make for a beautiful animal indeed!
	The picture on the right was taken by Bill Welch .
	Here are some 5th instar caterpillars taken by Bill Welsh. Take a look at the closeups section of Bill's Web site for some nice butterfly pictures.