Stats

Lifespan: A few weeks
Size: Large
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate deciduous forest
Range: North America
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

The Luna Moth is one of North America's largest moths, recognized by its ethereal pale-green wings and dramatic 4-inch hindwing tails that spin in flight to confuse bat echolocation. Adults are mouthless and live only about a week, surviving entirely on fat stored during the caterpillar stage.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2.
caterpillar
A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3.
cocoon
A silk cocoon spun in leaf litter or soil while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4.
moth
A winged adult with feathery antennae and scaled wings, most active after dark.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Actias
Species: Actias luna