Rural School Leaflet 



128!; 



The delicate green of the hma's ^\ings is set off by the rose-purple 

 velvet border of the front 

 wings, and the while fur 

 on the body and the 

 inner edge of the hind 

 wings. It has been called 

 the Empress of the Night 

 probably because of its 

 ermine covering. The 

 prolongations of the hind 

 wings give the moth a 

 most graceful shape, and 

 at the same time prob- 

 ably protect it from oIj- 

 ser\^ation. for dining the 

 da}i:inie the moth usualh' 

 hangs, wings down, be- 

 neath green leaves, and 



the long projection of the 



•■ • , ' ■ r 1 J J i Larva of the luna moth 



hmd wings tolded to- -^ 



gether resembles a petiole, making the insect look much like a large leaf. 



The female luna is not merel}^ 

 graceful, she is also a knomng 

 mother. She knows just what 

 species of trees have leaves that 

 will be acceptable food for her 

 young. She always selects hick- 

 ory, birch, oak, butternut, wal- 

 nut, and some others, but could 

 never be induced to lay her eggs 

 on a hemlock or a cedar. The 

 eggs are white and are laid a few 

 in a row on a leaf. If the weather 

 is warm, the eggs will hatch about 

 a fortnight after they are laid. 

 The little caterpillars that 

 - Jdmr hatch from these eggs are \"eUow- 



^^ ish green. They eat the leaves 



^^ with great a\'idity. The luna 



^J¥ caterpillar, like other insects, 



grows by shedding its skeleton 

 skin w^hen this becomes too tight; 

 after the fourth molt a yellow line appears along the side of its body. When 



/ 



Cocoon of the htna moth 



