Today’s Lovely Luna
My son took me out to a movie for Mother’s Day today, and we happened to see this lovely Luna moth on our local travels in Snellville, Georgia. I tried to get a close look to distinguish whether it was a male or female, and I do believe she was a female. Her antennae were not as fluffy and feathery as a male’s would be. She was just quietly minding her own business, appearing just like a leaf hanging on a large limb of a Sweet Gum tree.
I generally don’t see many Luna moths, perhaps one or two each year if I’m lucky. I was excited to spot her! While I was out with my son and when I saw her, it was funny because I said, “There’s a Luna, there’s a Luna!,” and he said, “Where? Where?,” so I walked over to the tree and pointed to her. She was lovely! Sometimes, it’s just the little rare things that make life beautiful and interesting.
Gorgeous August Luna!
Male Luna Moth, Snellville, Georgia, August 7, 2020
This evening, I was grilling steaks outside when it started to rain. As I was standing on the porch, watching the rain, I saw a beautiful Luna Moth fly from an oak tree in my yard to some azaleas near one of my bird houses, about 50 feet away from the tree.
Male Luna Moth Resting on Azalea, Snellville, Georgia, August 7, 2020
I made a mental note to remember approximately where I saw the Luna Moth land so I could go and observe it after I finished grilling the steaks. So, once I finished, I told my son about the Luna, and we went to find it, along with my camera. The pictures I took of it were from about 10 feet away (zoomed in), so I didn’t disturb it. It was a gorgeous male – see if you can see its feathery antennae.
Luna Moth Caterpillar in Pre-Pupal Stage
Luna Moth Caterpillar in Pre-Pupal Stage, Snellville, Georgia, October 2019
The photos in this blog post show a rarely-seen yellow Luna Moth caterpillar. I say “rare” because it appears that Luna Moth caterpillars become yellow, instead of their usual green, during their pre-pupal stage.
(Note: Caption is not working correctly. Same caption as first picture.)
Earlier this week, a colleague of mine in Boy Scouts emailed me some photos of caterpillars, requesting that I assist in the identification of them. The photos in this post of the Luna Moth caterpillar are those she took in October 2019, and she gave me permission to post them here.
The thing is – I was unable to precisely identify this caterpillar! I think that’s a first for me in my entire life, LOL! I reached out to a contact at the University of West Georgia for his insights, and he correctly identified it. If you compare it to photos of other Luna Moth caterpillars in pre-pupal stage, as seen on Google images, they are an exact match!
Thank you, Denise and Greg, for your interest and insights.
Awesome Imperial Moth Caterpillar (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)
Imperial Moth Caterpillar, Snellville, Georgia, September 29, 2015
Enjoy this amazing beauty that was found in my front yard today under a Sweet Gum tree. It is an Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) caterpillar, and was 3.25 inches long. (I have also included a photo of what the moth of this caterpillar looks like.)
Imperial Moth (Retrieved from Flickr.com, September 29, 2015)
This critter is from the Giant Silk Moth family, and is the first caterpillar of this moth that I have ever seen in my life! I am so blessed to have seen such a rare beauty!
Beautiful Polyphemus Moth (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)
Male Polyphemus Moth, Snellville, Georgia, July 5, 2015
About one month ago, while clearing away some of the dead flowers in the flower bed from last year, we located a silk moth cocoon. We brought it indoors, and I have kept it in a warm, dry place on a shelf with some cards and knick-knacks since then.
Male Polyphemus Moth, Snellville, Georgia, July 5, 2015
Today (July 5, 2015), a beautiful male Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) emerged from the cocoon. This evening, my son and I let it go in the woods near our home. He was quite a beauty to behold, and we are so happy to have been able to observe and enjoy him!
“Luna Moth Delight” (By: Michele Babcock-Nice)
Luna Moth Beneath Leaf Camouflage, Georgia, USA, Summer 2010
Throughout my life, I have had the great pleasure of seeing, observing, photographing, and even collecting several Luna Moths. Luna Moths, or Actias luna, are giant silkworm moths that belong to the family, Saturniidae. Their wingspan is generally about 4.5″ in length, so they are very large, appearing as kites in flight.
These moths are so amazing and beautiful…in their coloring and wing structure. With their coloring reminiscent of evening moonlight – the aura of light surrounding the moon – they get their name, Luna, which means “moon.” And, the tails on the hind wings of these fabulous delights are very long, flowing, and beautiful, as well!
In the picture above that I photographed in the summer of 2010, my mom located this Luna Moth, roosting in a tree in the backyard. She cut the branch of the tree – with the Luna Moth still resting on it – and brought it in the house for all to enjoy. We observed and enjoyed it’s awesome beauty, and then, released it that night when it became active, after flying about inside the enclosed porch.
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