Quick Facts
- Type
- Insect
- Size
- 8–11.5 cm wingspan
- Weight
- Under 1 g
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests of eastern North America
- Diet
- Nothing as adults; leaves as caterpillars
- Active Time
- Nocturnal
- Lifespan
- About one week as an adult
Field Notes
- Adult luna moths cannot eat and live only about a week.
- The long wing tails may foil bats by scrambling their echolocation.
- Males use feathery antennae to smell a female from far away.
About the Luna Moth
The luna moth is a large, pale-green silk moth native to forests of eastern North America. With long, sweeping tails on its hindwings and a soft, luminous color, it is one of the continent's most striking insects. Adults have no functional mouthparts and do not feed; they live only about a week, devoting their short lives entirely to finding a mate. The trailing wing tails are thought to confuse the echolocation of hunting bats. Males use large, feathery antennae to detect the faint scent of distant females.
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