Luna moth
Actias luna (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Hindwings have long curving tails. Wings are pale green, each with a transparent eyespot. Outer margins are pink in the southern spring brood, yellow in the southern summer brood and in northern populations.
Wing Span: 2 15/16 - 4 1/8 inches (7.5 - 10.5 cm).
Life History: Adults are very strong fliers and are attracted to lights. Mating takes place after midnight, and egg-laying begins that evening. Females lay eggs in small groups or singly on both surfaces of host plant leaves. The eggs hatch in about one week and the caterpillars are sedentary and solitary feeders. Leaves and silk are used to spin papery brown cocoons in litter under the host plant.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north, two to three broods from March-September in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: A variety of trees including white birch (Betula papyrifera), persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), hickories (Carya), walnuts (Juglans), and sumacs (Rhus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Deciduous hardwood forests.
Range: Common. Nova Scotia west to Saskatchewan and eastern North Dakota; south to central Florida, the Gulf Coast, and eastern Texas.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Taxonomy Notes: This moth is often mistakenly referred to as the Lunar Moth, instead of the Luna Moth. It is also sometimes referred to as the American Moon Moth.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 3311 verified sightings
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Chemilaw
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 13, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Highland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2024
Observation date: Sep 06, 2024
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 06, 2024
Observation date: May 28, 2024
Submitted by: amylbolt
Region: Shelby County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Aug 02, 2024
Submitted by: alprob
Region: Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Sep 04, 2024
Submitted by: amylbolt
Region: Shelby County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Sep 02, 2024
Submitted by: Doug DeNeve
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 04, 2024
Observation date: Sep 02, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 03, 2024
Observation date: Apr 17, 2018
Submitted by: Dan Hickey
Region: Botetourt County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 27, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2024
Submitted by: LynnG
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: LindaStew
Region: Georgia, White County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 29, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: MellieF
Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 29, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: vvryabyy
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 27, 2024
Observation date: Jul 24, 2024
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: RavenChance
Region: Jefferson County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: RavenChance
Region: Jefferson County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: Crosenblum123
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 23, 2024
Observation date: May 29, 2024
Submitted by: SIG@animallover
Region: Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 14, 2024
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2024
Observation date: Jul 12, 2024
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
Observation date: Jun 27, 2024
Submitted by: mattvc03
Region: Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jul 10, 2024
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: Mandy T
Region: Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 04, 2024
Observation date: Jun 07, 2024
Submitted by: Okiebug
Region: Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
- 1 of 138
- next ›