Luna Moth Facts for Kids

A Picture of a Luna Moth
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Family: Saturniidae
  • Genus: Actias
  • Species: Actias luna

12 Luna Moth Facts for Kids

  1. The luna moth is a silk moth that is a member of the genus Actias.
  2. The binomial name for the luna moth is Actias luna.
  3. The luna moth was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
  4. The average lifespan of a luna moth is just under one year.
  5. The luna moth is one of the largest moths in North America.
  6. The average wingspan of a luna month is 4.5 inches, but they can reach a wingspan of 7 inches.
  7. The four stages of a luna moth’s life cycle are egg, larva, pupa and adult.
  8. A luna moth caterpillar (larva) can make a clicking noise and throw up contents of its stomach to ward off predators.
  9. Entomologists think the long tail of an adult luna moth is used to mess up the echolocation used by predatory bats.
  10. The adult luna moth lacks a mouth and doesn’t consume food during its adult stage.
  11. An adult luna moth only lives about one week, with the sole purpose to find a mate before it dies.
  12. In North America, a parasitic fly was introduced to help control gypsy moths. Initial studies show that this parasitic fly has had a negative impact on luna moth populations.

Additional Resources with Luna Moth Facts

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