Knowra Luna moth Luna moth The luna moth (Actias luna) is a large North American silk moth with pale green wings and long hindwing tails. Its adults lack functional mouthparts and live only briefly.
Lepidoptera : An insect order comprising butterflies and moths, distinguished by scaled wings and a coiled adult proboscis in most species. The luna moth belongs to this order of scaled-wing insects.
Hawkmoth bat avoidance : A set of defensive behaviors and adaptations that help hawkmoths evade echolocating bats. Luna moths also use long hindwing tails to disrupt bat attacks, though they are not hawkmoths.
Host plant : A plant on which an organism feeds or develops, especially an herbivore or parasite. Luna moth caterpillars feed on leaves of several deciduous tree genera.
Actias luna : The scientific species name of the luna moth, a North American saturniid. This binomial identifies the species discussed on this page.
Saturniidae : A family of large moths whose larvae often spin silk cocoons and whose adults commonly have reduced mouthparts. This is the silk-moth family that includes the luna moth.
Acoustic camouflage : A defense that makes an animal harder for a predator to detect or locate using sound. Luna moth tails can distort a bat's returning echoes and redirect strikes.
Larval host plants of Actias luna : The deciduous trees whose foliage supports luna moth caterpillars, including walnut, hickory, and sweetgum. These trees supply food for the species' leaf-eating larvae.
Luna moth caterpillar : The larval stage of Actias luna, a green caterpillar that feeds on leaves before pupating. This is the conspicuous feeding stage preceding the adult moth.
Complete metamorphosis : An insect life cycle with distinct egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. The luna moth changes form through all four stages.
Pheromone : A chemical signal released by an organism that alters behavior or physiology in members of its species. Female luna moths release pheromones that males detect with their antennae.
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