The Green Moth Monster
The Green Moth, or the “big green monster”, is also known as the Luna Moth. Not only is the caterpillar green, but it does turn into a beautiful green moth. They are typically found in eastern North America, and it’s part of the family that includes the Giant Silkworm Moth.
The Make-up of the Green Moth
The green moth is rather large, with a wing span that runs up to 6 inches. Despite their name and their classification they are not related to the Asiatic silkworms. These Saturnids have bizarre “eye spots” on the wings which tend to ward off any predators lurking for food. They also have rather large, odd looking fuzzy antennae, which is characteristic only to their group. The male moth uses these to his advantage as they help him tune in to the females in his neighborhood. These antennae actually pick up small traces of pheromones given off by the females, so that he can even track her down when it is pitch black outside.
When the female gets pregnant, she will lay a cluster of tons of tiny eggs. Then, her caterpillars will hatch and grow through the typical growth stages before changing into its cocoon. When in the warmer climate zones where this moth usually lives, it can go through two generations of moths in a year.
Life Cycle of the Green Moth
The caterpillars while growing have a pretty diverse diet, made up of leaves from birch, walnut, hickory, persimmon trees and many more. Just like any other caterpillar, their mouth is equipped with several different mechanisms that help it to chew through just about anything.
Behind the caterpillar’s head, it has a set of three legs which are small compared to the rest of its body. The three pairs of legs qualify this green caterpillar to be a true insect. The legs behind the head are called “true legs”, and on the back end of its body it has “false legs”. These legs help it hold onto branches and twigs as it crawls, but the legs in front really help it to maneuver and get around.
The caterpillar has one pair of prologs that grows from each abdominal segment, but as it grows into an adult, the false legs will fall off. This is just another unique feature in its growth stage versus other moths.
The Green Moth has been devastated by a slim habitat over time. They were more common when American Chestnuts were still growing in plentiful quantities, because this was the major food source for them. Other populations of the Luna Moth have been completely wiped out due to the spraying of chemical pesticides.
A place called the Hilton Pond Center does not agree with the use of pesticides and encourages the growth of all the food sources it has used, such as the hickory, walnut, birch and common persimmon trees. They just simply want to do what they can to make the Luna Moth feel welcome, and have a habitat to grow in and regenerate.
Overall, the Luna Moth has served the purpose if anything to fascinate us as humans. When we think of moths, we think of plain looking moths that flutter around lights when they get in the house, or if they sneak up to the lights around our patio. We don’t envision them as bright and colorful, or even fascinating to study. This is just one of the many species of moths that exist, but over time the changes of nature has made many creatures extinct. If you are in an area where you know these exist, then do what you can to preserve their habitat.