A sure sign of summer is the emergence of adult luna moths (Actias luna) that dazzle us with their
large beautiful green wings. We found this fellow huddled on the side of a bin
on the deck at the nature center; maybe he sought refuge inside during this
morning’s storms? And, yes, we can guess that he is a he since his feathery antennae
are quite large (the females’ antennae are narrower). This particular moth is
looking a bit raggedy. It is missing the characteristic tails on its hind
wings, so maybe it is reaching the end of its very short stint (about 1 week!)
as an adult. Adult luna moths exist solely to mate and lay eggs, so they don’t
even have mouths to feed with! The caterpillars that hatch from early summer
eggs will go on to lay their own eggs by the end of the summer to create the
population of lunas that will overwinter in cocoons. Catch them while you can!
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