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Luna moths are both fleeting & various. The mouth-less adult lives for merely one week, with one purpose. Just around midnight, females "call" males in to mate by emitting pheromones to be received by the male's highly sensitive, featherlike antennae. After mating the female lays eggs far and wide upon the underside of host plant leaves.

Luna moths can be found in the woods where their host plants grow. Different geographical populations are adapted to different plants for larval feeding. In Missouri, a luna moth caterpillar may find it's host in a walnut, hickory, persimmon, or sweet gum tree.

A luna moth of this particular palette would likely be a male born in spring.

Luna Moth & Black Walnut
Luna Moth & Black Walnut
Gouache and colored pencil
7 x 10"
2016