Luna moths are one of our most beautiful moths. If you are fortunate to come across a Luna moth, take a few moments to pause and enjoy it. There is no way to capture a Luna moth's beauty with a photograph. And in death, mounted specimens fade and lose their brillant coloring.

Lunas are members of the Giant Silkworm family (Saturniidae spp.) along with the Cercropia moth. The Luna moth is a large moth with a wingspan of 7.6 - 10.2 cm (3 - 4 inches).

These nocturnal moths are found in deciduous forests. They can also be found in urban areas. The primary food for the caterpillars is white birch, alder, persimmon, sweet gum, hickory, walnut, or sumac trees.

Soon after emerging from their cocoons, adult Luna moth females emit a chemical pheromone to attract males for mating. The male Luna moth uses his "feathery" antenna to search out the females by following the pheromone.

Adult Luna moths live about one week and during that time, do not eat anything. The adult moths do not have functional mouthparts. They have to live on the energy stored in their bodies during their larval stage (when they were caterpillars).

The information on attracting backyard wildlife and rearing butterflies and moths, visit HERE