![]() Mating typically occurs after midnight and may last until dusk the next day. Males have bigger antennae than females for this purpose, while females sport larger abdomens, needed to carry their 200 to 300 eggs. When evening arrives, courtship activity follows as females release their perfume, known as pheromones, that males detect with their extra-large, feathery antennae. Once freed, the crumpled creatures spend the remainder of the summer daylight inflating their wings with hemolymph (insect “blood”). In the early morning hours, the thrashing cocoons grow still as the adult Lunas cut their way out of their silken cases using serrated spurs near the base of their wings’ front edge. Note the male’s large, feathery antennae. As adults, Luna moths live off the food they devoured as larvae, and have only vestigial mouthparts and no real digestive system. Not even long enough to need a meal, in fact. But don’t blink-these adults only live about a week, just long enough to mate and lay eggs. Two generations of adult moths can be seen in the summer, one from late May to early June and then again from late July to early August. While the Luna moth makes its home in northern Illinois year-round, it spends the bulk of its time hidden away in a leaf-cloaked cocoon on the forest floor. And pupae wriggle and writhe around in their cocoons to avoid becoming lunch. ![]() Larvae make clicking sounds with their mandibles as warning signals before regurgitating intestinal contents in an effort to thwart would-be predators. ![]() Protective adaptations aren’t limited to the adult stage of the moth’s life cycle.
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