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Actias luna, adult female
style="background: pink color = blue;" | Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Saturniidae Genus: Actias Species: A. luna
Binomial name
Actias luna Linnaeus, 1758

The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a large lime-green, Nearctic Saturniid moth in the subfamily Saturniinae. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 562 pixel Image in higher resolution (1996 × 1403 pixel, file size: 224 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna female taken by Shawn Hanrahan and reared on American Sweetgum. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... {{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Insects | fossil_range = Carboniferous - Recent | image = European honey bee extracts nectar. ... Superfamilies Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Acanthopteroctetoidea Alucitoidea Axioidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidea Choreutoidea Cossoidea Drepanoidea Epermenioidea Eriocranioidea Galacticoidea Gelechioidea Geometroidea Gracillarioidea Hedyloidea Hepialoidea Heterobathmioidea Hyblaeoidea Immoidea Incurvarioidea Lasiocampoidea Lophocoronoidea Micropterigoidea Mimallonoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Neopseustoidea Nepticuloidea Noctuoidea Palaephatoidea Pterophoroidea Pyraloidea Schreckensteinioidea Sesioidea Simaethistoidea Thyridoidea Tineoidea Tischerioidea Tortricoidea Urodoidea Whalleyanoidea Yponomeutoidea Zygaenoidea The order Lepidoptera... Subfamilies Arsenurinae Ceratocampinae Hemileucinae Agliinae Ludiinae Salassinae Saturniinae The Saturniidae, collectively known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 different species existing worldwide. ... Binomial name Actias luna Linnaeus 1758 The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a large lime_green saturniid moth found in North America from east of the Great Plains in the Mexico and from Ontario eastward through central Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Lime is a combination of the colors yellow and green, so named because it is the color of limes. ... The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earths land surface. ... Subfamilies Arsenurinae Ceratocampinae Hemileucinae Agliinae Ludiinae Salassinae Saturniinae The Saturniidae, collectively known as saturniids, are among the largest and most spectacular of the lepidoptera, with an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 different species existing worldwide. ... A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ...

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. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Great Plains covers much of the central United States, portions of Canada and Mexico. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 4th... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² - Water... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit(Latin) One defends and the other conquers BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL YT NT NU Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis - Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian...

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 years. Lunas will produce only one generation per year. These reach adulthood from early June to early July. In the north eastern 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. Generations redirects here. ... See Adult. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... NY redirects here. ...

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. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ...

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 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 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 moults 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. An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt. ... The tough brown cocoon of an Emperor Gum Moth. ... Eacles imperialis caterpillar undergoing apolysis Apolysis is the separation of the cuticula from the epidermis in arthropods and related groups (Ecdysozoa). ... Ecdysis is the molting of the cuticula in arthropods and related groups (Ecdysozoa). ... An exoskeleton, in contrast to an endoskeleton, is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animals body. ... In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper or back side of an animal, as opposed to the ventrum. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Pupa

Male Actias luna drying his wings after eclosion

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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 391 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1147 × 1757 pixel, file size: 131 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna taken by Shawn Hanrahan and reared on American Sweetgum. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 391 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1147 × 1757 pixel, file size: 131 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna taken by Shawn Hanrahan and reared on American Sweetgum. ... Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) pupa Chrysalis redirects here: for other meanings see Chrysalis (disambiguation). ... Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) pupa Chrysalis redirects here: for other meanings see Chrysalis (disambiguation). ... The tough brown cocoon of an Emperor Gum Moth. ... Embryonic diapause, in mammals is a condition where pre-implantation blastocysts are maintained in a state of dormancy, often due to environmental cues, until such time as the environment improves. ...

Adult

Eyespot of male Actias luna

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 do not eat or have mouths. They emerge as adults solely to mate, and as such, only live approximately one week. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 1. ... See Adult. ... Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) pupa Chrysalis redirects here: for other meanings see Chrysalis (disambiguation). ... Eyespot can refer to: Eyespot (insect photoreceptor): The area of an arthropod body (especially an insect) where the ocelli (photoreceptors) are located; Eyespot (mimicry): A form of automimicry in which a spot on the body of an animal resembles an eye of a different animal to deceive potential predator or...

Eclosion of Actias luna. Time elapse: about 45 seconds.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Actias luna

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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." Eric Carle Eric Carle (born June 25, 1929) is a childrens book author and illustrator, most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has been translated into over 30 languages. ...

Images of life cycle

Luna eggs Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1992x1233, 235 KB) Summary Actias luna eggs taken by Shawn Hanrahan Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Actias luna Wikipedia:Picture peer review Wikipedia:Picture peer...	Hatching caterpillar Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...	1st instar caterpillars reared on American Sweetgum Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2012x770, 199 KB) Summary Actias luna 1st instar caterpillars taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ... An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt. ... Binomial name Liquidambar styraciflua L. American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), also known as Redgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America. ...	2nd instar caterpillars Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1040 KB) Summary Actias luna 2nd instar larva taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...
3rd instar caterpillar Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1407x1288, 176 KB) Summary Actias luna taken and reared by Shawn Hanrahan on American Sweetgum Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Actias luna User:Kugamazog Metadata...	4th instar caterpillar emerging during ecdysis Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1263x1516, 188 KB) Summary Actias luna 4th instar just finishing ecdysis. ... Ecdysis is the molting of the cuticula in arthropods and related groups (Ecdysozoa). ...	4th instar caterpillar Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1463 KB) Summary Actias luna 4th instar taken and reared by Shawn Hanrahan. ...	5th instar caterpillar Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1694x1103, 568 KB) Summary Actias luna 5th instar taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...
5th instar caterpillars Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1619x1260, 704 KB) Summary Actias luna 5th instar taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...	5th instar caterpillar defoliating American Sweetgum Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1524x1151, 613 KB) Summary Actias luna 5th instar taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...	5th instar caterpillar spinning a cocoon Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 524 pixel Image in higher resolution (1320 × 864 pixel, file size: 155 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna 5th instar larvae spinning a cocoon. ... The tough brown cocoon of an Emperor Gum Moth. ...	Female Pupa Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 395 pixel Image in higher resolution (1697 × 837 pixel, file size: 94 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna male pupa taken by Shawn Hanrahan and reared on American Sweetgum. ...
Male Pupa Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 459 pixel Image in higher resolution (1715 × 984 pixel, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna female pupa taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...	Pupa and cocoon Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1588x1291, 131 KB) Summary Actias luna pupa taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...	Luna cocoons Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1054 KB) Summary Actias luna cocoons taken by Shawn Hanrahan. ...	Adult male Image File history File links Size of this preview: 770 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2077 × 1618 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna male taken by Shawn Hanrahan and reared on American Sweetgum. ...
Adult female Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 562 pixel Image in higher resolution (1996 × 1403 pixel, file size: 224 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna female taken by Shawn Hanrahan and reared on American Sweetgum. ...	Adult male Luna Moth (Actias luna) taken by Mike McCaffrey File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...	Mating adults Image File history File links Size of this preview: 649 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1765 × 1630 pixel, file size: 211 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Actias luna adults mating. ...

Host plants

The caterpillars feed on the following host plants: Caterpillar of the Emperor Gum Moth A caterpillar is the larval form of a lepidopteran (a member of the insect order comprised of butterflies and moths). ...

• Betula (Birch)
• Alnus (Alder)
• Diospyros (Persimmon)
• Liquidambar (Sweet gum)
• Carya and Annamocarya (Hickory)
• Juglans (Walnut)
• Rhus (Sumac)

Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Species About 20-30 species, see text. ... Species (kaki persimmon) (black sapote) (velvet apple) (date plum) (Texas persimmon) (American persimmon) Persimmon most commonly refers to the edible fruit borne by some species of the genus Diospyros. ... Species Liquidambar formosana Liquidambar orientalis Liquidambar styraciflua The sweetgums Liquidambar are a genus in the witch-hazel family Hamamelidaceae, with three species of large deciduous trees, 25-40m tall, with palmately lobed leaves: Liquidambar formosana - Chinese Sweetgum (central & southern China, Taiwan). ... Species See text Comparison of Carya nuts Ripe hickory nuts ready to fall, Andrews, SC Hickory is a tree of the genus Carya, including 17-19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and large nuts. ... “Walnut Tree” redirects here. ... Species About 250 species; see text Rhus is a genus approximately 250 species of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Anacardiaceae. ...

Trivia

• In Michael Chabon's novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the Luna Moth is a comic book character, drawn by Joe Kavalier after his real-life girlfriend Rosa Luxemburg Saks.

• There are other moths with attractive looking adults including the Indian moon moth and Chinese moon moth. There are less common, similar looking moths that can all be found in the Actias genus.

• The sleep medication Lunesta uses the Luna Moth as its trademark.

Michael Chabon (born May 24, 1963) is an American author best known for his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001. ... The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a 2000 novel by Michael Chabon. ... Binomial name Actias selene (Hübner, 1807) The Indian Moon Moth or Indian Luna Moth (Actias selene) is a species of moth. ... Binomial name Actias luna Linnaeus 1758 The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a large lime_green saturniid moth found in North America from east of the Great Plains in the Mexico and from Ontario eastward through central Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada. ... Eszopiclone, available under the brand-name Lunesta, is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent used as a medication in treatment of insomnia. ...

External links

• How to rear saturniid moths
• Luna moth info
• Step by step development of Luna life cycle (Caution: high bandwidth usage, many pictures)