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.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2616 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 23, 2016
Submitted by: Merry
Region: Georgia, Towns County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Mar 23, 2019
Observation date: Mar 20, 2019
Submitted by: teacherman1955
Region: Duval County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 22, 2019
Observation date: Mar 17, 2019
Submitted by: rseidler
Region: Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 21, 2019
Observation date: May 07, 2018
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Cocke County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 19, 2019
Observation date: Mar 11, 2018
Submitted by: fattuesday
Region: Texas, United States, Walker County
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 11, 2019
Observation date: Mar 05, 2019
Submitted by: David J. Williams
Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 06, 2019
Observation date: Jul 29, 2018
Submitted by: Rose A. Payne
Region: Bibb County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 19, 2019
Observation date: Aug 01, 2016
Submitted by: KateTweedy
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 03, 2018
Submitted by: Sinnful
Region: Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jan 22, 2019
Observation date: Jan 09, 2019
Submitted by: Tsheridan21
Region: Texas, Kendall County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 09, 2019
Observation date: May 17, 2018
Submitted by: ascar64
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jan 05, 2019
Observation date: Mar 30, 2004
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Blanco County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 15, 2018
Observation date: Dec 07, 2018
Submitted by: 2112Mothman
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 07, 2018
Observation date: Aug 16, 2013
Submitted by: tramea
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 10, 2018
Observation date: Sep 05, 2018
Submitted by: Rachel Rosbach
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 09, 2018
Observation date: Aug 31, 2018
Submitted by: dbarkdoll
Region: Henry County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 06, 2018
Observation date: Aug 20, 2018
Submitted by: Falcon5177
Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Nov 01, 2018
Observation date: Aug 23, 2018
Submitted by: treichard
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 15, 2018
Observation date: Aug 09, 2018
Submitted by: Kruemelchen1908
Region: Harnett County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 12, 2018
Observation date: Aug 08, 2018
Submitted by: Siejas
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 12, 2018
Observation date: Oct 09, 2018
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 10, 2018
Observation date: May 16, 2018
Submitted by: foreverdancing
Region: Clark County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
Observation date: May 18, 2018
Submitted by: ithoughtofthisfirst
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
Observation date: May 30, 2018
Submitted by: Kathy Fitzgerald
Region: Tolland County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Oct 09, 2018
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