Turley Publications photo by Tim Kane

 

Hi, Luna

 

BROOKFIELD – What a surprise it was to see this giant Luna moth perched on the bathroom window at daybreak Sunday morning. With early Native American-like headdress, this adult female is arguably our most beautiful moth. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension Program, examples of its popularity include the appearance on a first class U.S. postage stamp issued in 1987; 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 current (2007) television commercials for the sleep aid Lunesta. 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.

While this particular moth’s wings were contracted, the adult wingspan is 75 to 105 mm. Adult luna moths are large green moths with a long tail on each hind wing and discal eyespots on both the fore and hind wings.

She hung around all day and night, and we closed the window a bit to keep her safe from the torrential wind and rain.