Published on NJ.com, NJ Wildlife, July 7, 2014
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With a wingspan of over four and a half inches, the Luna Moth is one of New Jersey’s larger moth species. A member of the Saturniidae family, this giant silkworm moth will only fly at night through deciduous hardwood forests in late spring and early summer with one purpose in mind — to mate.
In the mid-morning hours the Luna Moth will emerge (it is only about an inch long at the time of emergence) from a fragile cocoon spun of its silk around leaves and will climb up a tree to hang upside-down so to inflate its wings with blood. Read more
Luna Moth in Warren County (Photo by John Parke)
To learn more about moths, including the Luna, celebrate National Moth Week at an evening program on Friday, July 25, at New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, 11 Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville. The program will run from 7:30 to 11 p.m.
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Everyone can participate in National Moth Week, a global citizen science project.
For information and registration visit www.nationalmothweek.org.
Media Contact: Sandra Lanman
sandra@lanmanpr.com