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A Male Luna Moth

Photo by Mrs. Gray's Class, 2002

Our Luna Moths
Luna Moth Information
Luna Moth Links

LUNA MOTHS

We purchased our luna cocoons from William Oehlke. He has a great website, Giant Silkmoths of Prince Edward Island, Canada, http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/izsaturn.htm . It is a fantastic resource of information about the giant silkmoths.

These are mounts of a male and female luna moth. The male has big feather-like antennae and a smaller body than the female. The female has a large body full of eggs and small feather-like antennae. They were mounted by Ted J. Perez of Old Town, Florida.

Photos by Mrs. Gray's Class, 2003

Mrs. Gray brought in our Luna cocoons on April 25th. They are the small brown ones.
cocoons

The luna moths started to emerge about two weeks later. They are beautiful.

We now have all three kinds of silkmoths.
group

Photo by Roberta Gray

2014

The Luna Moth

A Female Luna Moth

Photo by Mrs. Gray's Class, 1999

The Luna Moth is also called the "Moon Moth". This moth is found in many of the eastern United States from Maine to Florida. It is less common in the western states such as Texas and the Great Plains. It is also found in the southern areas of the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskachewan. Its wingspan can be five inches. There are two broods each year.

Photo by Adam Fleishman
Wings and Things
http://www.wingsandthings.com

Luna caterpillars like sweetgum, walnut, birch, hickory, and persimmon. The larvae or caterpillar will grow to about 3.5 inches and are generally green throughout their five growth stages or instars. There is a lateral yellow line on the Luna caterpillar. When the caterpillar is ready to form its cocoon, it finds a safe place. It then starts to spin a sticky thread. It wraps this sticky thread around its body and also wraps leaves into the cocoon with this sticky thread. The Luna's cocoon is a loose bag of silk and leaves. brown cocoon

Photo by Mrs. Gray's Class, 1999

When the moth is ready to emerge from its cocoon, it makes a special juice which softens the cocoon and allows it to emerge from the cocoon. The newly hatched Luna moth has moist, tiny, wrinkled-up wings and a large body. The moth slowly pumps fluid from its body into its wings. After an hour of this activity the winds are fully expanded. The moth then will remain motionless for the rest of the day to allow its wings to dry and harden. Luna moths are active at night. The male will fly off looking for a mate while the female will generally remain flightless until it has mated. Once it has mated the female will fly from plant to plant laying its 150 - 250 eggs. The eggs will hatch after 8 - 13 days.

Photo by Mark Lasko
Wings and Things http://www.wingsandthings.com

Links

Giant Silk Moths of Prince Edward island
http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/index.html
Luna Photo
http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/moths/local/moth19.htm

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Updated 05/20/14
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