We had a guest last night on the wall near our back door: this beautiful male(?) Luna moth. He has pale green wings with swallow-tail-like flutters at the end. And a purple edge, and these super-cool eye shapes on his wings, and these neato antennae. His body is a furry white. He was about 4 inches across.
Here's a closeup of the eye on the wing:
And a closeup of the legs (purple) and antennae (yellow ferns).
These poor babies have only basic mouths and DO NOT EAT once they hatch from their cocoon. They mate and die within a week.
2 comments:
What a BEAUTIFUL creature!!! And so sad that their life span is so incredibly short.
I already know that if he saw the photo... my son would want it as a pet. He spotted a *crazy* looking beetle-thing outside the mall last week and decided I had to take a photo with my phone - and then he named it Harry. LOL
Thanks for stopping by, Larissa!
Apparently you can order Luna Moth caterpillars and raise them as short-lived "pets" and watch their whole life span in about 11 weeks.
Not my idea of fun, but I'm sure little boys would find it fascinating and educational.
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