August 7, 2011 - Green Luna
Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

What’s green, has four wings, appears overnight and is on a mission? It’s a luna moth. These large moths turn up this month, sometimes in unlikely places. They emerge from cocoons in the early morning hours then climb to a safe spot as they pump fluid into their soft wings and wait for them to harden. The 3 to 4 1/2 " wingspan of these pale green moths make them conspicuous during this time. This is the second generation of the year for luna moths. The first was in April or May. The mission of these adult moths is to carry on the species. The lifespan of luna moths is only about a week. Once they mate and lay eggs their life is done. Due to their short lifespan and nocturnal activity, these green moths often go unnoticed.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.