Bug FAQNorth American Luna Moth
Actias luna · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Also called: Luna Moth, North American Moon Moth
The North American luna moth has lime-green wings with long tails on the hindwings and a white body.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Lime-green wings with long, sometimes twisted tails on the hindwings and a white body.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
The caterpillar’s spines can irritate skin but do not sting, and the species is not poisonous.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
A parasitoid fly introduced for gypsy-moth control has negatively affected luna moth populations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Each larval stage lasts about 4 to 10 days between molts.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In Canada adults appear in late May or early June; farther south they may appear as early as March and have multiple generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a Nearctic giant silk moth native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, Alabama, Florida.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do luna moths bite or sting?
No, they do not bite, and their spines may irritate skin but do not sting.
Source: Wikipedia
How big do luna moths get?
Their wingspan is typically 8 to 11.5 cm, occasionally reaching up to 17.8 cm.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I expect to see luna moths in my area?
In Canada they appear in late May or early June; further south they may show up as early as March and have more than one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Saturniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_moth
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.