Japanese luna moth

Maynard, MA, USA: Beacon-Villager newspaper column on local history, observations on nature and recreational activities, plus an occasional health-related article. Columns from 2009-11 collected into book "MAYNARD: History and Life Outdoors." Columns from 2012-14 collected into book "Hidden History of Maynard." - David A. Mark We find symbolism in rare events that coincide with our rare events - a rainbow at a wedding, something as beautiful as a Luna Moth after the loss of a loved one. And that is good - we gain a beautiful visual memory to tie to the emotional memory. As noted below, moths and butterflies are doubly symbolic, as they represent a transformation from mundane to wonderful. Maynard, MA: This morning (May 28, 2013), turning back to the house from getting the newspaper, I looked up and saw this over our front door. It stayed until evening, then flew off. "This" is a male Luna Moth (not 'Lunar moth'); only the fourth I've ever seen in 60 years. Luna moths are native to North America, and not so much rare as secretive. These are forest-dwelling, night-flying, short-lived moths. In New England, adults emerge from pupa in late May to mid-June. The adults do not feed, hence are never seen flitting from flower to flower, and live for only about a week, their sole purpose - besides beauty - being to mate before dying. I suppose it's the same with us, just on a different time scale. In northern states the cycle from egg hatching to egg laying takes a year, with only t...

There are some 160,000 unique Moths range from small, camouflaged species to large specimens bigger than a human hand, with eye-popping displays to ward off predators. While beauty is subjective, we think many moths are just as beautiful, if not more so, than butterflies. What do you think? Here are 20 of the most beautiful moths from around the world. Goddard_Photography / Getty Images With a wingspan of nearly 8 inches, the comet moth ( Argema mittrei) is one of the largest moths in the world. It's a member of the giant silk moths, a family of moths that produce silk while in caterpillar form to construct their cocoons. It has a thick, hairy body, feathery antennae, and distinctive Also known as the Madagascan moon moth, it's only found in Madagascar. Due to habitat loss, it's now endangered, though it is still bred in captivity. Jasius / Getty Images The lime hawk-moth ( Mimas tiliae) is a medium-sized species with a wingspan of about 3 inches. It's found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It has a band of green markings across its wings, which helps it hide in its woodland habitat. Males of the species are usually smaller than the females but have more colorful markings. Julie Persons Photography / Getty Images The twin-spotted sphinx moth ( Smerinthus jamaicensis) is in most regards a dull-looking species, with one notable exception: while its body and forewings are brown, it has red hindwings with prominent blue and black eyespots. It can be found across Nort...

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common name: luna moth scientific name: Actias (= Tropaea) luna (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Saturniinae) The luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus), is arguably our most beautiful moth. Examples of its popularity include its appearance on a first class United States postage stamp issued in 1987 ( Figure 1); its selection to grace the front cover of A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (Covell 2005); and the use of an animated luna moth in the 2007 television commercials for the sleep aid Lunesta. Figure 1. In 1987, the United States Post Office issued a first class stamp with the image of the luna moth, Actias luna (Linnaeus). Photograph by Described and named (as Phalena plumata caudata) by Petiver in 1700, the luna moth was the first North American saturniid to be reported in the literature (Tuskes et al. 1996). The original Latin name of the luna moth which referred to the long tails was lost when Linnaeus converted the name to a binomial with the specific epithet luna in 1758. The family name Saturniidae is based on the eyespots of some members of the family that contain concentric rings reminiscent of the planet Saturn (Powell 2003). The luna moth gets its name from its moon-like spots. Usually found in forested areas. In southern Canada it occurs from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan. In the United States, it is found in every eastern state from Maine south to Florida and west to eastern Texas and eastern North Dakota. Adults: The adult wingspan i...