I wish we could still post to Sherry's long luna moth thread since there is so much info there. I posted there last year that I had 2nd brood lunas eclosing on September 18th. I was never able to attract a wild male. Well, this year, I've had 2nd brood lunas eclosing for maybe the last week. I've had at least 30 eclose but I was not attracting any wild males. I was afraid the wild ones were on a different schedule. I'm pleased to announce that at least 3 wild males showed last night and I have one pair mating. So, for the first time ever in my experience, I'll be raising 3rd brood lunas in central Ohio. I figured I would be considering how early the eclosures started this year. KC

Congrats, tiffy, lunas are easily my favorite moth! Your boy (at least I think it's a male) is gorgeous - there are so few green moths and/or butterflies! We all love to help people successfully raise their leps here on the forum - I'm so glad everything turned out well! Sherry

Lunas do not have mouth parts. They use little horns near the base of the forewings to tear at the silk. Polyphemus does it too. Cecropia does not since it leaves itself a valve in the cocoon for escape. I guess I'll go into the "rest of the story." I was told about a woman that raised lunas and I was hoping to get some from her. I went to her house and saw her setup. She had paper towels in all of her enclosures. Many of the cocoons were made on the paper towels. The successful eclosures had come out the sides of the cocoons, away from the towel underneath. She said she just had three cocoons left and that I could have them. I took them home and cut them open. All three had moths that had emerged from their chrysalis but could not get through the cocoon/paper towel. When I raised lunas, I never used paper towels. Many of my lunas did not even make cocoons because their siblings ate the leaves that were being woven into the cocoons. When the cats gave up trying to make a cocoon, I'd put them in smooth bottom containers where they would pupate. Made for extremely easy sexing of the pupas since I did not have to contend with a cocoon.

Donna....great pictures....they all look so healthy and "crisp", if that's the right word. You do great work. Fried Bananas and Ginsu Knife are now on my list even though the roof may be only place with room for them (or who needs grass?)