Oh Luna my Luna

Early July, on my walks, I was excited to find a single luna moth wing. Mid July was marked with twin and triplet wings. One August day, I found 7 wings. The next day, I found 12. Maybe I shouldn’t be so excited? It’s starting to look like some kind of predation! Bats…?

One interesting fact about the luna moth is that during its imago stage (when it has wings and looks like a moth), it does not eat anything. “As with all giant silk moths, the adults only have vestigial mouthparts and no digestive system and therefore do not eat in their adult form.”1

They imago stage is also only 7-10 days. That, combined with the luna moth’s noctural behavior, makes it fairly rare to see one. It think my 2024 photograph shows a newly emerged imago waiting for its wings to dry so that it can fly.

The Rosy Maple moth shines like the sun,
While fragments of the moon revolve, undone.
More little moons have fallen to the ground,
Their eye spots watching, waiting to be found.

Around and found, these wings of wonder played
With pollen, knew the laughter of the glade.