Nestle into nature

  Old Rag Master Naturalists
  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Our Chapter
      • Our Board of Directors
      • Chapter Committees
      • Chapter Contacts
      • Chapter Documents
      • Sponsoring Agencies & Partners
    • Become a Master Naturalist
    • Join Our Email List
    • Contact Us
  • Events & News
    • Upcoming Happenings
    • Newsletters of Interest
    • Chapter Meetings Calendar
    • Past Happenings
  • Training & Education
    • Basic Training
    • Continuing Education
    • Apply
  • Resources
    • Useful Links and Resources
    • The Socrates Project
  • Projects
    • New Project Proposal Request
    • Approved Projects
    • Volunteer Activities by Interest >
      • Activities You Can Do From Home
      • Birds
      • Fauna
      • Flora
      • Pollinators
      • Photography
      • Habitat and Trails
      • Education-Public
      • Education-Students
      • Trees
    • Project Photos >
      • Stewardship-Plant/Animal Survey Project Photos
      • Bird Project Photos
      • Pollinator Photos
      • Education Photos
      • Trail and Tree Photos
  • Blog
    • Reading Corner
  • Log Hours
  • Members List

Lovely Luna Moths (Actias Luna)

7/31/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Leave a light on and an open window on a warm summer night in Virginia and you are likely to wake up to a see a stunning specimen resting on a wall or windowsill. Moths come in a myriad of subtle markings and colorizations, each a fascinating display of ways to blend in with nature.
Compared to our showy day-flying butterflies, moths tend to attract less notice for their beauty, often because we do not get the opportunity to study them closely unless they happen to alight next to an outdoor light or come inside at night.
It is difficult to determine the total number of moth species in the Commonwealth* but North Carolina lists 2666 species as of April 2014, far outnumbering the butterfly species for the state.
One of our most showy and easily identifiable moths is the lovely luna moth (Actias luna). They belong to the family Saturniidae and, like other large silk moths, have wingspans up to 4 ½ inches. Their wings are a pale green, allowing them to blend into summer tree foliage, and have long graceful tails.
Canada marks their farthest range where they typically produce only one generation per summer (referred to as univoltine), whereas in Virginia, they have two generations (bivoltine). In the deep South with longer summers, they may be trivoltine.
The caterpillars feed on a relatively diverse list of native trees including the following:

  • Alder (Alnus)
  • Ash (Fraxinus)
  • Birch (Betula)
  • Elm (Ulmus)
  • Hickory (Carya)
  • Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya)
  • Hornbeam (Carpinus)
  • Moonflower (Ipomea alba)
  • Persimmon (Diospyros)
  • Sumac (Rhus)
  • Sweetgum (Liquidambar)
  • Sycamore (Platanus)
  • Walnut (Juglans)
  • Willow (Salix)

Despite this relatively wide range of host trees, it is a rare delight to see luna moths, particularly in the wild as they typically fly after midnight. The adults lack a mouth so do not feed. They are strong fliers and, once the adults find a mate, the female lays eggs that hatch in about one week. The caterpillars go through five instars, dropping to the leaf litter below the host tree and pupating, emerging as adults  and the cycle begins again.
Some lepidopterists erect outdoor lighting systems with UV lights and white sheets to attract moths in order to admire their vast array of sizes, colors and body shapes.
We are fortunate to live in Virginia with such biodiversity, including the lovely and magical luna moth.

References and for more information:
https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Actias-luna
http://www.vararespecies.org/
http://www.vararespecies.org/list
http://www.carolinanature.com/moths/
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/moths/luna_moth.htm
https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-type-and-region.asp?thisState=Virginia&thisType=Butterfly%20or%20Moth



0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe

    New Feature!
    ​--------------

    The Reading Corner 
    Where Naturalists Go On Those Long Winter Nights! 
    ​​Click Here To Check Out Our Reading Suggestions

    Have a blog or blog idea? 
    ​​Let us know (click here)
    What is a blog?  

    Categories

    All
    Birds
    Butterflies & Pollinators
    Climate
    General Nature
    Habitat
    Insects
    Invasives
    Mammals
    Stream Monitoring
    Trees

    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016



    Blog Administrator:
    Jeff Stehm
    ​ORMN Class IX
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • About Us >
      • Our Chapter
      • Our Board of Directors
      • Chapter Committees
      • Chapter Contacts
      • Chapter Documents
      • Sponsoring Agencies & Partners
    • Become a Master Naturalist
    • Join Our Email List
    • Contact Us
  • Events & News
    • Upcoming Happenings
    • Newsletters of Interest
    • Chapter Meetings Calendar
    • Past Happenings
  • Training & Education
    • Basic Training
    • Continuing Education
    • Apply
  • Resources
    • Useful Links and Resources
    • The Socrates Project
  • Projects
    • New Project Proposal Request
    • Approved Projects
    • Volunteer Activities by Interest >
      • Activities You Can Do From Home
      • Birds
      • Fauna
      • Flora
      • Pollinators
      • Photography
      • Habitat and Trails
      • Education-Public
      • Education-Students
      • Trees
    • Project Photos >
      • Stewardship-Plant/Animal Survey Project Photos
      • Bird Project Photos
      • Pollinator Photos
      • Education Photos
      • Trail and Tree Photos
  • Blog
    • Reading Corner
  • Log Hours
  • Members List