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My Home:
I am found in trees of the eastern part of the
United States and into Canada. I only fly at night and that is how
I got my name, the word 'luna' means moon.
What I
eat: As a caterpillar, I will
eat hickory, sycamore and walnut leaves. I do not have a mouth and do
not eat as an adult.
What I
look like: My wings are light
green with yellow stripes that have a long wing tail. My wingspan is
approximately 5 inches long and 4 inches wide. I am one of the largest
moths in North America.
How I am
born: I will go through four
stages of development: egg, caterpillar, pupa (cocoon), and adult. The
female can lay 400 to 600 eggs, four to six eggs at a time on the
underside of leaves. It can take up to two weeks for my egg to hatch
into a lime green caterpillar with small orange spots along the sides.
It takes about six weeks from the time my egg is laid for me to turn
into an adult. As an adult, I only live about one week.
Fun
Facts: The
adult Luna Moth does not have a mouth. Luna Moths are members of the
giant silkworm family. |
