American moon moth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luna moth
Actias luna, adult
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Saturniidae
Genus:	Actias
Binomial name
Actias luna Linnaeus, 1758

The luna moth (Actias luna) is a species of moth. It is in the family Saturniidae. The luna moth is thought to be North America's most beautiful insect.

Description

The luna moth has a wingspan of 7.5 to 10.5 cm. The wings are lime-green. The bottom wings have long tails. There is a clear spot on each wing. There is a reddish-brown border on the top edge of the top wing. Some individuals have pinkish borders on the outer edge of both wings. Other individuals have yellowish borders instead. Adult Luna Moths have no mouth at all, rendering them completely harmless. They live by the fat they stored up at the larval stage. Because of this, they only live for about one week.

Distribution

The luna moth is found in North America. It is found from Nova Scotia, west to North Dakota, south to Texas, and east to Florida.

The luna moth is found in habitats such as woodlands and forests.

Flight period

The luna moth is seen from May to July in the northern part of its range. It is seen from March to September in the southern part of its range.

Life cycle

Luna moth

The luna moth's eggs are brown. The caterpillar is green. It has bright red spots on its body. There are two yellow stripes that run down each side of the body. The caterpillar will grow to 6.5 cm long. The luna moth caterpillar is similar to the polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) caterpillar. The polyphemus moth caterpillar does not have the yellow stripes on its body. The luna moth's cocoon is made of dead leaves on the ground. It overwinters (spends the winter) as a cocoon. The luna moth has one brood (a brood is a group of offspring) each year in the northern part of its range. It has three broods each year in the southern part of its range.

Food plants

The caterpillars feed on the following host plants:

• Alnus – Alder
• Betula – Birch
• Carya and Annamocarya – Hickory
• Diospyros – Persimmon
• Juglans – Walnut
• Liquidambar – Sweet gum
• Nyssa sylvatica – Black gum
• Rhus – Sumac

Images for kids

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  Illustration by Edna Libby Beutenmuller from Field Book of Insects (1918)

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  Eggs from female raised in captivity, laid on coarse paper

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  Hatching larva

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  4th-instar larva. Spots can also be yellow or magenta.

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  5th-instar larva starting to create a cocoon (note silk strands to leaves)

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  Pupa, removed from cocoon. Eyes visible at head end (left)

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  Wings drying and enlarging after emergence from pupa

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  Mating imagoes (winged adults). Male, with larger antennae, on left

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  Antennae (male)

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  Eye-spot on hindwing

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  Eye-spot on forewing

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  Extreme close-up of scales in eye-spot

See also

In Spanish: Actias luna para niños