Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 4, November 1900: Illustrated by Color PhotographyVarious
History
Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 4, November 1900: Illustrated by Color Photography
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
This moth does not seem to be very abundant anywhere, but when once
seen will long be remembered on account of its great beauty. The green
and yellow colors are evidently very closely related, because either
one may, to a greater or less degree, replace the other, so that some
of the moths have quite a strong, yellowish tinge. One of our common
swallow-tail butterflies (Iphiclides ajax) possesses a very similar
green color in its wings, but does not seem to show this tendency to
replace the green by yellow. On the wings are four eyespots which
are also found in Polyphemus. These are remarkable in that they are
transparent in the center. This clear area in Luna is quite small,
while in Polyphemus it is about as large as the entire eye spot of
Luna. The legs are brown and colored like the front edge of the fore
wings. The hairs on the body and at the base of the wing are very
long and are white or yellow. The wing expanse ranges from three and
three-fourths to five and one-half inches.
During April or May the mother moth lays her dark-brown or
chocolate-colored eggs upon hickory, walnut, beech, oak, and a few
others of our forest trees. The limited number of food plants is
doubtless one reason for the rarity of the moths, as compared with such
a common and almost omnivorous larva as Cecropia. A single moth may lay
about one hundred eggs, which are smaller than those of Polyphemus.
These hatch in about ten or fifteen days, the larva making its escape
by eating a circular hole in the shell. Occasionally a young larva may
be seen crawling about for a short time, carrying upon its head or tail
the empty shell.
The adult larva is about three inches long, of a delicate pale green, a
color very difficult to preserve in the dead larva. Those on the plate
have lost this delicate green and have become yellow, but show the form
perfectly. This larva is very much like that of Polyphemus, but may be
distinguished from it by possessing a longitudinal pale yellow lateral
line, which is not found in Polyphemus. Since the cocoon is quite thin
and contains but little silk, it is considered of but little value.
This cocoon is spun among two or three weaves, and is about two inches
long. Some authors claim that the cocoon falls to the ground with
the autumnal falling of the leaves; others that it transforms on the
ground among the fallen leaves. The cocoon is quite similar to that of
Polyphemus, but not so firmly attached when fixed to a stem. The moths
emerge in April and May, there being only a single brood in the
north, while there are two in the south.
[Illustration: LUNA MOTH.
(Tropaea luna.)
Adult Male. Pupa. Adult Female.
Larva. Cocoon.
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