Everything about Actias Luna totally explained
The
Luna Moth (
Actias luna) is a
lime-green,
Nearctic Saturniid moth in the subfamily
Saturniinae.
Range
This moth is found in
North America from east of the
Great Plains in the
United States to northern
Mexico and from
Ontario eastward through central
Quebec to
Nova Scotia in
Canada.
Life cycle
Based on the
climate in which they live, the Luna moths produce differing numbers of
generations. In Canada and northern regions, they can live up to 7 days and will produce only one generation per year. These reach
adulthood from early June to early July. In the northeastern
United States around
New Jersey or
New York, the moths produce two generations each year. The first of these appear in April and May, and the second group can be seen approximately nine to eleven weeks later. In the southern United States, there can be as many as three generations. These are spaced every eight to ten weeks beginning in March.
Egg
Female Luna moths lay 100–300 eggs, 4–7 eggs at a time, on the underside of leaves, and they
incubate for eight to thirteen days, depending on
climate.
Larva
Each
instar generally takes about five days to a week to complete. After hatching, the caterpillars tend to wander around before finally settling on eating the particular plant they're on. These caterpillars tend to be for the first two to three instars, but separate and live independently after that. As with all Saturniids, these caterpillars go through five instars before
cocooning. At the end of each instar, a small amount of silk is placed on the major vein of a leaf and undergoes
apolysis. The caterpillar then undergoes
ecdysis, or molts from that position leaving the old
exoskeleton behind. Sometimes the shed exoskeleton is eaten. Each instar is green, though the first two instars do have some variation in which some caterpillars will have black underlying splotches on their
dorsal side. Variation after the second instar is still noticeable, but slight. The dots that run along the dorsal side of the caterpillars vary from a light yellow to a dark magenta. The final instar grows to approximately nine
centimeters in length.
Pupa
The luna moth
pupates after spinning a
cocoon. The cocoon is thin and single layered. Shortly before pupation, the final, fifth instar caterpillar will engage in a "gut dump" where any excess water and fluids are expelled. The caterpillar will also have an underlying golden reddish brown color and become somewhat immobile. As pupa, this species is particularly active. When disturbed, the moth will wiggle loudly. Pupation takes approximately two weeks unless the individual is
diapausing. The mechanisms for diapause are generally a mixture of genetic triggers, duration of sunlight or direct light during the day, and temperature.
Adult
Adults eclose, or emerge from their cocoons in the morning. Their wings are very small when they first emerge and they must enlarge them by pumping bodily fluids through them. During this time, their wings are very soft and fragile and they must climb somewhere safe to wait for their wings to harden before they can fly away. This process takes about 2 hours to complete. The Luna moth has a wingspan of between 8–11.5 cm with long, tapering hindwings, which have
eyespots on them in order to confuse potential predators. Although rarely seen due to their very brief (1 week) adult lives, Luna moths are considered common. As with all Saturniidae, the adults don't eat or have mouths. They emerge as adults solely to mate, and as such, only live approximately one week.
Images of life cycle
Image:Actias luna eggs sjh.JPG|Luna eggs
Image:Actias luna 1st instar hatching sjh.jpg|Hatching caterpillar
Image:Actias luna 1st instar sjh.JPG|1st instar caterpillars reared on American Sweetgum
Image:Actias luna 2nd instar sjh.JPG|2nd instar caterpillars
Image:Actias luna 3rd instar sjh.JPG|3rd instar caterpillar
Image:Actias luna 4th instar ecdysis sjh.JPG|4th instar caterpillar emerging during ecdysis
Image:Actias luna 4th instar sjh.JPG|4th instar caterpillar
Image:Actias luna 5th instar 3 sjh.JPG|5th instar caterpillar
Image:Actias luna 5th instar 4 sjh.JPG|5th instar caterpillars
Image:Actias luna 5th instar 5 sjh.JPG|5th instar caterpillar defoliating American Sweetgum
Image:Actias luna spinning sjh.JPG|5th instar caterpillar spinning a cocoon
Image:Actias luna male pupa sjh.JPG|Female Pupa
Image:Actias luna pupa sjh.JPG|Male Pupa
Image:Actias luna pupa 2 sjh.JPG|Pupa and cocoon
Image:Actias luna cocoons sjh.JPG|Luna cocoons
Image:Actias luna male sjh.JPG|Adult male
Image:Actias luna female sjh.JPG|Adult female
Image:Luna moth01 800x600.jpg|Adult male
Image:Actias luna mating sjh.JPG|Mating adults
Image:Female Luna moth.jpg|Female Luna moth
Host plants
The
caterpillars feed on the following host plants:
Popular Culture
Children's author Eric Carle prominently featured a luna moth in his 1990 book, "The Very Quiet Cricket". In the story, a cricket is born who can't talk. During the course of a sunny day, the cricket meets many other insects, but each time the tiny cricket rubs his wings together, no sound emerges. By the end of the day, the cricket is tired and frustrated at being unable to communicate with his fellow insects. At the height of his despair, "A luna moth sailed quietly into the night. And the cricket enjoyed the stillness. As the luna moth disappeared silently into the distance, the cricket saw another cricket. She, too was a very quiet cricket." The book ends with the quiet male cricket finally finding his voice and chirping "...the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard."
In the original Dr. Doolittle movie, the titular character flew away on a giant luna moth.
In Michael Chabon's novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, (and the graphic novels inspired by the prose novel) the Luna Moth is a comic book character, drawn by Joe Kavalier after his real-life girlfriend Rosa Luxemburg Saks.
Luna moths are referenced in Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" and are used as a metaphor for one of the characters in the book.
The sleep medication Lunesta uses the Luna Moth as its trademark.
The lunamoth's name was used to create the name Luminoth a spieces of advanced, humanoid moth in
In the japanese manga Berserk,the apostle Rosine took the form of a Luna moth to fight Guts.
Giant lunamoth puppets, designed by Alex Kahn, led New York's Village Halloween Parade in 1998.Further Information
Get more info on 'Actias Luna'.
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