Luna Moth
Actias luna
Saturniidae
The pale green giant. Wingspan the size of a coffee mug, wings shaped like something a botanist drew for a spring calendar. Adults live only about a week — they have no mouths, don't eat, don't drink; they exist to find a mate and lay eggs, then die.
How to spot one.
3–4.5 inch wingspan
Pale sea-green wings
Long, curling tails on hind wings
Eye-spots on both fore and hind wings
Pink outer wing margins on fresh individuals
How it lives.
Nocturnal. Adults do not feed — they emerge from cocoons, mate, lay eggs, and die within about a week. Caterpillars feed on native tree leaves (walnut, hickory, sweet gum, birch) and can be huge — up to 3 inches — before spinning silk cocoons in leaf litter.
The spec sheet.
- Type
- Moth
- Active
- May – August
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- declining
- Family
- Saturniidae
What it needs.
Plants this species visits, feeds on, or depends on. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Sweet gum, walnut, hickory, birch, persimmon
Larval host
Not officially listed but observed in decline. Silk moths in general are among the pollinators most affected by outdoor lighting — porch lights and street lamps disrupt mating flights and expose them to predators.
Summersweet NJ · Xerces Society · Butterflies and Moths of North America
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- HtMothNative · NJ
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