![]() Natural range: North America (Eastern USA), south- eastern Canada and a very small part of Mexico (Rio Bravo).Host plants: Birch tree ( Betula sp.), Sweetgum ( Liquidambar sp.), Hickory ( Carya sp.), Walnut ( Juglans sp.), Maple ( Acer sp.), Cherry ( Prunus sp.), Sycamore ( Platanus sp.), Willows ( Salix sp.), Persimmon ( Diospyros virginiana), Tulip tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera) and more: also reared on Eucalyptus sp., Corylus (hazel), Poplar tree ( Populus sp.) – Click Here for a very comprehensive food plant list! For captive rearing, highly recommended are Liquidambar (Sweetgum) and Betula (Birch).Pairing difficulty: 4/10 (Achieving copulations).Rearing difficulty: 3/10 (From egg to pupa).Difficulty rating:Easy – Easy in all regards and suited for beginners.Their incredible beauty, combined with their ubiquitousness, versatile dietary requirements, and the fact they are quite easy to breed in captivity, makes them a good choice for anyone willing to study moths in captivity. Why you ask? Well, they simply make popular pet insects. – several websites offer cocoons or eggs. ![]() How to breed Luna Moths? This insect is commonly raised, sold and traded in the U.S.A. ![]() How to breed luna moths!? Find out today on my website! This website contains HUNDREDS of pages documenting the life cycles of moths and how to breed them! – Pictured various luna moths on the authors (Bart Coppens) hand The caterpillars ‘face’ (head capsule) also varies from brown to green. When they are present they can be green, pink, orange, to pale grey(ish). Their tubercles vary in color and are sometimes even absent. The caterpillars are bright (lime) green. Generally speaking however, the moths are spotted from spring to late summer, with cocoons hibernating in winter. You can imagine that because of this, their flight time also varies per location. Whereas in subtropical climates (Florida, Louisiana) flight data could suggest they have up to four (4) annual broods! In countries with shorter summers and longer (and colder) winters, environmental cues drive them to produce one (1) generation with perhaps a more rare partial second (2) generation in optimal weather conditions (the warmest summers). It seems that there is a lot of plasticity when it comes to their hibernation habits, based on the local environment. The flight time of the moths tends to vary – in the north (Canada & uttermost northern USA) they tend to have mostly just one generation per year (cocoons almost always hibernate) whereas in the south they can have 2-3 broods. That being said – nothing is written in stone considering the fact the larvae are quite polyphagous and readily consume various kinds of trees and shrubs and the species has the proclivity to use whatever is locally available. įor example it is said that in the north they heavily rely on birch ( Betula sp.) to the point of it being one of their main host plants, whereas they mainly use hickory, walnut, and oak ( Carya & Juglans & Quercus) on middle latitudes, whereas in the south they rely more on persimmon ( Diospyros sp) and sweetgum ( Liquidambar) towards the south. The host plants they are regionally dependent on, vary with latitude. The caterpillars of this species can only develop themselves on particular species of trees their host plants commonly include Birch tree ( Betula sp.), Sweetgum ( Liquidambar sp.), Hickory ( Carya sp.), Walnut ( Juglans sp.), Maple (Acer sp.), Cherry ( Prunus sp.), Sycamore ( Platanus sp.), Willows (Salix sp.), Persimmon ( Diospyros virginiana), Tulip tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera) and more. But in some instances also parks and suburban areas important is that there are enough trees to sustain them. What does that mean? It mostly means forests – deciduous woodlands, in particular. Actias luna female closeup Luna Moth larva (fully grown) Actias luna female This species is found in the eastern half of the United States of America, portions of Canada, and a tiny part of Mexico – a considerable variety of climates and environment considering how much latitude they cover – although it is rarely found west of the Rocky Mountains & great plains (they act as a geographical species barrier for many organisms) and does seem to be restricted to the eastern half of the U.S.A. The moths are stunning, with their hind wing tails, and fluorescent color that ranges from yellow-green to a more pale mint-green. ![]() This insect is perhaps one of the most emblematic species of moths in the world revered for its beauty – and a cultural icon. There is much to be said about the Luna Moth (Actias luna).
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