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 1 - 24 of 3393 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 12, 2026
Submitted by: Tina Aguiar
Region: Stafford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 12, 2026
Observation date: Jun 05, 2026
Submitted by: Carol52
Region: Daviess County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 05, 2026
Observation date: Jun 04, 2026
Submitted by: Youngsong
Region: McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 05, 2026
Observation date: May 26, 2026
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 30, 2026
Observation date: Aug 24, 2024
Submitted by: LanaV
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 27, 2026
Observation date: May 25, 2026
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Braxton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 25, 2026
Observation date: May 04, 2022
Submitted by: Rhondag315
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 23, 2026
Observation date: May 19, 2026
Submitted by: Belinda Knoblock
Region: Putnam County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 20, 2026
Observation date: May 18, 2026
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 19, 2026
Observation date: May 18, 2026
Submitted by: jules0918
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: Sue Gregoire
Verified date: May 19, 2026
Observation date: May 10, 2026
Submitted by: Snipez5546
Region: Kenton County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 12, 2026
Observation date: May 06, 2026
Submitted by: Moth_Observer01
Region: Nelson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 08, 2026
Observation date: May 06, 2026
Submitted by: Margie Labadie
Region: Accomack County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 06, 2026
Observation date: Apr 25, 2026
Submitted by: morsman
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 03, 2026
Observation date: Apr 29, 2026
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 03, 2026
Observation date: Apr 28, 2026
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 02, 2026
Observation date: Apr 24, 2026
Submitted by: K. S. Veitch
Region: Laurel County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 26, 2026
Observation date: Apr 25, 2026
Submitted by: Devon Graves
Region: Carroll County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 26, 2026
Observation date: Mar 06, 2026
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 04, 2026
Observation date: Mar 23, 2026
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 24, 2026
Observation date: Mar 18, 2026
Submitted by: LBridges
Region: Horry County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 19, 2026
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: Donajo
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Mar 07, 2026
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 07, 2026
Observation date: Jul 20, 2025
Submitted by: dkBirder
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 01, 2026
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