The Catskills ~ Luna Moths

Checking out of our fog-bound Catskills hotel, we were greeted with a luna moth on the veranda. One of the giant silk moths, Actias luna is large, startling, and spectacular. (See the comments for the status of these show-stoppers here in the city.) Wingspan ranges from 3-4″ in length. Each of the four wings has an eyespot; the hindwings spots here are just visible through the forewings. The streamer-like tails of the hindwings are like curling silk.Note the loops of the feathery antennae, above, and the white underline in the eyespots, below (click on image to open to bigger view). Later in the day, when we took shelter from a downpour, we found another luna hanging onto the wall of a campground restroom. Like the first, it had been attracted to the structure’s light.