I really don't know, Sherry. But she sure is beautiful! Is she the approximate size of the Promethea moth I used to find on Long Island? She looks a lot lighter in color though. I will have to look her up in my "Silkmoths of North America". I think that is what it is called. How wonderful to have them on your property. It would be great if you can find some cats this spring. Murray

If y'all have questions on any of the sphinx or silk moths, the Butterfly Gardening forum has lots of answers from people who have reared them before. Right now, there is a lot of discussion on Cecropias. Unfortunately, Oklahoma does not see a lot of the silks because we are at the western most range for them. The Eastern US sees a lot more. We do have lots of sphingids, though. Bill Oehlke has THE best website for info on the silks, sphinx, and catacolas. He has helped me out by answering lots of questions, and has used a lot of my images of the sphinx I have found in my backyard. I'm giving you a link to the lunas in case you're interested. If you have a female, you can put her in a paper bag where she will lay eggs. Then you can cut around the eggs and put them with their host plant and watch the cats grow (instars) and form their pupae (needs sticks and stuff to construct the cocoon). I'd love to raise some if I ever get any, but I think I will order the cecropias eggs from Bill to get started on them. They eat either Sweet Gum (as do Lunas) or black walnut. Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Luna Moths

I'm so glad to have found this thread! We've had a Luna hanging out on the porch for two days, he clings to the window screen of one window. I was sad to think I had missed him the first night my DH saw him cause I was already in bed, but he has hung around. I wondered if he was a) newly hatched and just resting while he unfurled, b) waiting for a female to be attracted to our lights at night, or c) near the end of his lifespan. I checked on him about an hour or two ago and he was straight chillin and in very good shape, but just how he was fluttering against the windows and now the tips of his wings are a bit raggedy. I wonder if he was trying to escape a predator. I turned off the porch light and the lamp just inside the window, although not the rest of the lights in the house, so hopefully fewer other insects will bother him. In any case, I have always loved these beautiful creatures and have seen a few in my life in this area, but never here at this house. We do have sumacs and black walnut trees in the yard and I am slowly rehabbing the property that was much neglected before we bought in. I'm making it as wildlife friendly as possible- lots of natives and pollinator friendly flowers. The Dude Abides:

PUPATION - Butterfly caterpillars generally pupate on a branch or stick, seldom on the host plant. Monarchs and other species that make hanging chrysalides will often use the underside of the lid of their container. Most will make a silk button or other structure to attach to for pupation. Once attached, they will hang inactive for a day or so and may shrink and discolor before actually pupating. Moth caterpillars make cocoons in leaves, crevices or on sticks, depending on the species. Most Sphinx moth cats will burrow underground and excavate a chamber lined with a small amount of silk. Sphinx cats will readily pupate in leaf litter or paper towels in captivity. Sphinx cats severely shrink and discolor before pupation. Don't mistake them for dead or dying caterpillars. Over-wintering cocoons and chrysalides are best kept in an unheated outdoor shelter like a garage. Another option is to store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. You can mist them with water occasionally to keep them from dehydrating, but avoid too much moisture; that can cause mold. ECLOSION - When a butterfly or moth emerges from its chrysalis or cocoon, it needs to hang to properly inflate its wings. Be sure it has something it can climb up or hang onto. Most butterflies will cling to their empty chrysalis case. Try not to disturb them after eclosion. If disturbed, they may prematurely eject the fluid used to inflate the wings and be crippled for life. After the wings are inflated they need to dry and harden. This usually takes about 6 hours. A butterfly or moth may be able to fly before then, but will be unable to go far because the wings will still be too heavy or soft. Before taking flight, butterflies and moths will eject the excess fluid in their bodies (called meconium). Place paper toweling under them if they are above an area you don't want to get stained. HAND FEEDING - Usually feeding isn't necessary, but in cases of extended bad weather there may be a need to feed your unreleased butterflies. In the wild, lack of sunshine and/or cool temperatures will make butterflies inactive, reducing their need for feeding. There has been quite a bit of discussion on what sugar/water ratio is appropriate for butterflies. It has been argued that butterflies require less sugar than there is in commercial hummingbird nectar mix, but it has also been argued that hummingbirds and butterflies feed from the same nectar sources in the wild. The most common formula seems to be 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. One tablespoon of sugar mixed with four tablespoons of water is a typical batch. Gatorade has also been recommended. Soak a small sponge with the liquid or place a few drops on a tabletop. Avoid large puddles; you don't want the butterfly's wings to get wet and sticky. Hold the butterfly by the upper wing tips and unroll the feeding tube with a toothpick, placing the tip in the mix. Butterflies are surprisingly cooperative once they get a taste and will often sit and drink unrestrained until they've had their fill. BREEDING - Butterflies are very difficult to breed in captivity. Your best bet is to release them. Female silk moths can be left outside overnight in a cage to attract males. The bars should be spaced wide enough to allow mating but close enough to prevent the female from escaping. Females emit a pheromone from a scent gland at the end of the abdomen, usually the first few nights after eclosing. This scent will attract males from miles away. Females rarely fly before mating. This is why females caught at lights are usually fertilized. Always breed moths in open cages and where there is some airflow. Closed containers and aquariums concentrate the phermone released by the females making them difficult for the males to locate. Males navigate by smell and touch, not sight, so a slight breeze is essential. After mating, the female moth can be placed in a brown grocery bag for egg-laying. Since the eggs are attached to surfaces with a strong adhesive, the bag makes it much easier to cut out the eggs later. Females will continue to lay eggs until they are nearly dead. Since silk moths have no mouthparts and don't feed, there is nothing you can do to prolong their lives. Typically silk moths live only about 10 days. INBREEDING - Inbreeding is not recommended. Inbred silkmoths have been known to produce a higher percentage of unviable eggs and entire broods of inbred caterpillars have been known to die for apparently no other reason. However, if no wild males are available, inbreeding is preferable to not breeding at all. Males that emerge before females can be stored in a refrigerator to prolong their lives until females are available. The recommended temperature is 55 degrees. Colder temperatures can cause behavior changes that will render them incapable of mating.