Animal profile

Luna Moth

Actias luna

InsectaDeciduous hardwood forest, especially where birch, walnut and sweetgum grow

Field profile

A large pale green saturniid with long twisted hindwing tails and translucent eyespots. Adults do not feed and live about a week. Caterpillars feed on the leaves of several hardwood trees and pupate in a cocoon spun among leaf litter.

Published field notes

2025-05-08

Luna Moth

The luna moth's tails deflect bat sonar

Those long hindwing streamers are not decoration. Their twisted tips return a strong, moving echo that draws attacking bats away from the body, and moths with the tails removed are caught far more often in controlled trials.

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