Walking out to the car this morning, I found this Luna Moth. I didn't have a lot of time to get a good picture, so this one will have to suffice.
Like Cecropia, Polyphemus, and Prometheus Moths, the Luna Moth is a Giant Silk Moth, the largest moths we have in North America. Their wingspans can be 5 to 6 inches across. They are all spectacular, but perhaps none more than the Luna.
As you no doubt know, they start their life out as tiny little eggs which hatch into caterpillars. The caterpillars of Giant Silk Moths resemble large, fat pickles, often adorned with various tubercles, spines, and projections. When I was a kid I'd find these caterpillars regularly (there really is nothing quite like a full grown cecropia caterpillar ), but I haven't found one for years despite diligently looking for them every summer.
The caterpillars then spin a cocoon, from which will emerge the adult moth. Unfortunately, Giant Silk Moths don't have any mouths, so they only live a few days. The short life span coupled with the fact that they fly only at night means they are not readily or often found, and that it is always a great privilege to behold their fleeting beauty.
Thank you, Rob
I remember seeing a newly-hatched cecropia when I was little;it was the first time I'd ever heard of anything besides butterflies and clothes moths. Thank you for showing the luna and linking to the site.
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