Actias luna 345366 222026956 2008-06-27T05:49:26Z OrphanBot 621721 Removing [[:Image:Female_Luna_moth.jpg|image]] with no copyright information. Such images that are older than seven days may be deleted at any time. {{Taxobox | name = Luna Moth | image = Actias luna female sjh.JPG | image_width = 250px | image_caption = ''Actias luna'', adult female | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Arthropod]]a | classis = [[Insect]]a | ordo = [[Lepidoptera]] | familia = [[Saturniidae]] | genus = ''[[Actias]]'' | species = '''''A. luna''''' | binomial = ''Actias luna'' | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[1758]] }} The '''Luna Moth''' (''Actias luna'') is a [[Lime (color)|lime-green]], [[Nearctic]] [[Saturniidae|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 are on. These caterpillars tend to be [[wiktionary:gregarious|gregarious]] 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 [[Cocoon (silk)|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 [[Dorsum (biology)|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 [[centimeter]]s in length. === Pupa === [[Image:Actias luna emergence male 7 sjh.JPG|thumb|150px|right|Male ''Actias luna'' drying his wings after [[eclosion]]]] The luna moth [[pupa|pupates]] after spinning a [[Cocoon (silk)|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 [[diapause|diapausing]]. The mechanisms for diapause are generally a mixture of genetic triggers, duration of sunlight or direct light during the day, and temperature. === Adult === [[Image:Luna moth eye spot.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Eyespot of male ''Actias luna'']][[Image:Luna moth scales.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Scales of Luna moth eye spot]][[Adults]] [[eclosion|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 [[eyespot (mimicry)|eyespot]]s 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 do not eat or have mouths. They emerge as adults solely to mate, and as such, only live approximately one week. [[Image:Actias luna emergence sjh.gif|thumb|left|Eclosion of ''Actias luna''. Time elapse: about 45 seconds.]] {{commons|Actias luna}} <br clear="right"> === Images of life cycle === <gallery> 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 [[defoliate|defoliating]] American Sweetgum Image:Actias luna spinning sjh.JPG|5th instar caterpillar spinning a [[Cocoon (silk)|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 with unknown copyright status removed: Image:Female Luna moth.jpg|Female Luna moth {{deletable image-caption|1={{subst:#time:l, j F Y| + 7 days}}}} --> </gallery> == Host plants == The [[caterpillar]]s feed on the following host plants: *''Betula'' ([[Birch]]) *''Alnus'' ([[Alder]]) *''Diospyros'' ([[Persimmon]]) *''Liquidambar'' ([[Sweet gum]]) *''Carya'' and ''Annamocarya'' ([[Hickory]]) *''Juglans'' ([[Walnut]]) *''Rhus'' ([[Sumac]]) ==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 cannot 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 had 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 [[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]] *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. *Luna moths are often mentioned in books by Gene Stratton Porter, such as ''A Girl of the Limberlost,'' ''Freckles'' and ''The Harvester'' ==External links== *[http://www.kiva.net/~daylight/moth.html How to rear saturniid moths] *[http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/zlunmoth.htm Luna moth info] *[http://wormspit.com/Luna.htm Step by step development of Luna life cycle] (Caution: high bandwidth usage, many pictures) [[Category:Actias]] [[ar:عثة قمرية]] [[es:Actias luna]] [[hu:Actias luna]] [[nl:Actias luna]] [[no:Amerikansk månespinner]]