Luna Moth

This post was written by Guest Bloggers in Mrs. Sandman's Class who are lucky enough to have 2 Luna Moths in their classroom this spring.  Look below for a video of one of the moths emerging from its cocoon.  

By Nia

"Luna Moths are a kid of moth that are nocturnal, that means they are active at night.  They go around and find a mate then have babies.  Then they live for about 7 days, then die without food because the Luna Moth can't eat.  They live less time than most butterflies and moths.  How do you think you can tell a male from a female?  The females have small antennae and the males have big antennae.  That's how you tell a male from a female.  The Luna Moths have an interesting color.  Their colors are green with a brown outline on their wings.  It is sad they only live a few weeks then die.  Luna Moths are special creatures."

By Kevin

"The experience of the Luna Moth was great.  I'm glad they mated.  I learned something new this year about these insects that I never knew before.  That is how moths have scales.  This year there were two of them so mating was a new thing.  This was great and I hope Mrs. Sandman does it for the next few years."

By Marissa

"I feel so excited to have 2 Luna Moths in my classroom.  It is so cool seeing their eggs.  Also it's awesome seeing them day by day moving to different spots.  But the coolest part is seeing a video of a Luna Moth coming out of the cocoon.  It emerged at Proctor School"

By Sami

"Butterflies and moths are very interesting.  Most of the butterflies are active during the day.  They have a brightly colored body, skinny without fur.  Most have antennae with knobs and rest their wings above their body.  Most moths are active at night and are nocturnal..  Most are dull colors.  They have fat, furry bodies.  They have feathery antennae.  Most of the moths rest with their wings spread flat at the sides.  Moths have tiny hooks on bristles that link each fore wing and hind wing while in flight.

Moths and butterflies are both insects.  They both have the same body parts.  They are invertebrate (no backbone), exoskeleton (hard outer shell).  They have three parts to their body head, thoray, and abdomen.  They have two antennae, two wings and two compound eyes.  Their wings are covered with scales so their wings won't get wet.  Their enemies are bats and birds. 

One afternoon after math, Henry and I looked at the cage for the Luna Moths I saw the Luna Moth had come out of its cocoon.  I was so excited to see a real one alive.  They blend with the leaves on the trees because of their green camouflage."

By Sean

"I think Luna Moths are awesome because it is so amazing how they come out in such a tiny hole and have such massive wings.  The annoying thing is that they're nocturnal at night.  I wish I could touch them because they have such a fat, furry body, but Mrs. Sandman says I should not touch them.  When they sleep they spread their wings flat.  I wish they could stay alive more than seven days so I could do more observations until the end of the year."

By Henry

"Most Luna Moths are active at night.  Some are dull in color.  They have a fat, furry body.  they have plain or feathery antennae.  Most rest with wings spread out flat at the sides.  They have tiny hooks in bristles that link each fore wing and hind wing while in flight.  I think it was very interesting when the cocoon had a tiny hole in it and the Luna Moth is so big.  I wish I could see them fly but I can't because they are active at night.  They are very intereting'."

By Will

I think Luna Moths are pretty neat.  They are interesting to watch.  Did you know that they live for a week?  That is 7 days and that stinks.  Luna Moths are most active at night.  They look so warm in their little fat and furry bodies.  Luna Moth's antennae are feathery and sometimes plain.  Most rest with their wings to their sides.  In my opinion Luna Moths are cool and interesting."

By Taylor

"Luna Moths only live for a week.  Their only purpose is to mate and have eggs.  The eggs hatch into caterpillars.  They eat and then they go into a cocoon and soon will come out as a moth.  When they emerge from the cocoon their wings will be white.  They are only active at night.  They have good camouflage so you will never ese it.  You probably will walk past one today.  They have a green body and a line of brown along the top the the wings.  You usually think moth means ugly creature but Luna Moths are beautiful.  Luna Moths don't eat or drink.  They have no mouth.  That's why they only live or a week."

Click on the video below to see the Luna Moth emerge from its cocoon.