Luna Moth

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
five inches long and four 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 to turn into an adult.