Luna Moth
Luna Moths have soft, fuzzy white bodies. Like most silkmoths, they do not feed as adults, and they live for only a few days after emerging from their cocoons. The sole purpose of the adults is to reproduce. (Photographed in North Carolina.)
Pair of Luna Moths at Germantown MetroPark, Montgomery County, Ohio (photographed on April 24, 2016). Mated pairs sometimes remain together until the next morning.
Luna Moths have several broods in our area. The first brood usually emerges in late April or May, and I have seen them as late as August.
Luna Moth. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful creature in nature. This Luna Moth was photographed at Hocking Hills (eastern Ohio).
This is another Luna Moth from Hocking Hills. I very seldom see this species at my home lights. In fact, I have been running moth lights at my home on a regular basis since 2014, but I have only seen 4 Luna Moths at my house (all in a single year, 2024). These moths seem to be much more common in eastern Ohio than around my yard.
When I finished photographing this Luna Moth, I released him into a large sugar maple tree in my yard, where he could hide from the birds. He hung out in the sugar maple tree all day. These large green moths blend in with the leaves, where they are well-camouflaged.
This is one of the four Luna Moths that visited my home moth lights in 2024. Look at that adorable little face!
