This photo came in today from John Roemer.
'I attach photos of a colorful Luna moth that I took last week on a farm in Paradise Township. It had just emerged from its cocoon.'
A beautiful photo of a beautiful moth. John got the overall shot, to show size and shape, and then got in close to get the details. Very nice. Thanks for sending.
At the Pennsylvania State Farm Show in January, there was an insect display including a luna moth. A sign beneath it said, "This is NOT a Lunesta moth." It shows the power of advertising when people see this pale green moth and assume its name is Lunesta. On TV, a green moth is featured in an ad on TV about the sleep aid.
When I was a kid, we'd hatch all kinds of creatures in our house, including moths like John's luna moth. But we'd have monarch butterflies, praying mantis (still a favorite), cecropia moths, polyphemus moths and various other things. We lived in Ohio, just east of Cleveland, and one night my brother nearly stepped on a scorpion which was obviously not a native Ohioan. It hatched from some cactus my Mom and Dad brought back from vacationing in Arizona.
I hope some kids saw John's luna moth. It's wonderful to be able to see beauty in everything-- even the small things.
Thanks for posting the luna moth picture. I discovered it today (2 months later!) while doing a Google search. It's fun to read your comments and a privilege to be on your blog.