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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 3311 verified sightings
Observation date: May 09, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Newport News, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 12, 2023
Observation date: May 03, 2023
Submitted by: phojojanel
Region: Cocke County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 10, 2023
Observation date: Apr 19, 2023
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Hopkins County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 21, 2023
Submitted by: Tasciari
Region: Texas, Montgomery County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 17, 2023
Submitted by: phoebegal
Region: Virginia, Warren County, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 17, 2023
Observation date: Apr 11, 2023
Submitted by: ray_ennis22@hot...
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 16, 2023
Observation date: Mar 14, 2022
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Coffee County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Apr 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Fairfax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 28, 2023
Observation date: Mar 04, 2023
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 05, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2013
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Adair County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Jan 08, 2023
Observation date: Jun 21, 2022
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Warren County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 05, 2019
Submitted by: LonnieMiller
Region: Pettis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2015
Submitted by: Abrewmeister
Region: United States
Verified by: owlbyr
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 12, 2022
Submitted by: noble
Region: Baldwin County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 22, 2022
Observation date: Sep 02, 2022
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: M.pittillo
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Cacoder
Region: Dubuque County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jamesdurbin
Verified date: Sep 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 02, 2019
Submitted by: 2624Luis
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 27, 2022
Observation date: Aug 23, 2022
Submitted by: ttanks1976
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 24, 2022
Observation date: May 13, 2019
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 05, 2022
Submitted by: Zanziguy
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 02, 2022
Submitted by: Bumblebee57
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: StaceyNeal
Region: Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: fflores9329
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
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