CW: Regurgitation - Tumblr Posts
Moth of the Week
Luna Moth
Actias luna
The luna moth is in the Saturniidae family or the giant silk moth family. Originally, James Petiver described and named this moth in 1700 as the Phalena plumata caudata. However, this name was replaced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Linnaeus renamed it Phalaena luna and later he again changed the name to Actias luna, after the Roman moon goddess, Luna.
Description These moths are known for their green wings with long tails extending from the back edge of the hindwings. These moths also have a purplish or brown outline at the top and side of the forewings and along the bottom of the hindwings with a yellow eyespot on each wing. Luna moths have fuzzy white bodies, yellowish orange antennae, and legs ranging from maroon to magenta.
Wingspan averages at 9.75 cm (≈3.8 in) and and occasionally can grow up to 17.78 cm (7.00 in)
As most Lepidoptera do:
Females have a larger body compared to males in oder to carry eggs
Males have longer and wider antennae to pick up on mating pheromones
Diet and Habitat These moths are found in Canada from Saskatchewan to Quebec and Nova Scotia and in the United States from Florida to Maine. They are also found in Western Europe on occasion. Luna moth caterpillars live in and eat many species of broadleaf trees such as white birch, American persimmon, American sweet gum, and several species of hickory, walnut, and sumac trees. Adults moths have small mouths and do not eat.
Mating In the north, luna moths breed once a year in June while in the south, they breed up to 3 times a year in March. Mating occurs at night when females release pheromones to attract males, and a mating session lasts several hours. Females lay 200 to 400 eggs one by one or in small clusters. Egg laying takes several days, and eggs hatch after about a week.
Predators The luna moth’s hindwing tails are theorized to be used to confuse bats that use echolocation to hunt the moths. (TW: regurgitation/vomit) Another defense mechanism this species has is the larvae make clicking noises as a warning and then can regurgitate or hurl horrible tasting fluid from their intestines at predators. In addition to bats, a parasitic fly brought to North America to take care of the invasive spongy moths are also hunting the luna moth and other moth species.
Fun Fact Luna moth caterpillars have a special enzyme in their digestive systems that neutralizes a toxic chemical found in hickory and walnut trees. Additionally, some caterpillars have more enzymes than others because of different amounts of hickory and walnut trees in habitats!
(Source: Wikipedia, Finger Lakes Land Trust)