See for yourself one of the most amazing masters of change in the insect kingdom the luna moth! Hatching from a tiny egg, the luna moth begins its life as a caterpillar just 0.11 inch (3 millimeters) long. An eating machine, the caterpillar grows and sheds its skin or molts four times. Then it stitches a silk cocoon among the fallen leaves and becomes a pupa. Inside the pupa, the insect's body dissolves and reforms. After about six months, the insect emerges as a beautiful luna moth with a wingspan of up to 5 inches (127 millimeters) more than 40 times its original size! In this exciting book, you can learn what makes luna moths similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about moths' bodies, both inside and out. This book contains directions for creating a moth garden, where you can watch new moths emerge. Learn more about this exciting member of nature's fascinating Insect World.

Have you ever wondered how some of nature's smallest creatures spend their days? Here's your chance to take a scientifically accurate peek into the life of the luna moth (Actias luna). Striking illustrations and lively storyline capture the real life changes for this small animal as it hunts for food, faces its enemies, and interacts with humans. The luna moth is found in forested areas throughout the eastern United States and southwestern Canada. The caterpillars eat the leaves of white birch, walnut, and hickory trees. The adult luna moth comes out of its cocoon in the late spring or early summer in the north. In the south, the moth can come out at any time of the year. As a result, up to three generations of lunas can live in one year. Adults die within a week of mating. They do not have working mouthparts, so they do not eat. Their energy comes from the leaves they fed upon while in the caterpillar stage. The name "luna" means "moon" in Latin. The moth was named after the moon because it is a creature of night. The two long tails are said to aid in making it difficult for bats to target them with their sonar. Luna moths are often attracted to bright lights. Be sure to look for them around outdoor lights.

See for yourself one of the most amazing masters of change in the insect kingdom—the luna moth! Hatching from a tiny egg, the luna moth begins its life as a caterpillar just 0.11 inch (3 millimeters) long. An eating machine, the caterpillar grows and sheds its skin—or molts—four times. Then it stitches a silk cocoon among the fallen leaves and becomes a pupa. Inside the pupa, the insect’s body dissolves and reforms. After about six months, the insect emerges as a beautiful luna moth with a wingspan of up to 5 inches (127 millimeters)—more than 40 times its original size! In this exciting book, you can learn what makes luna moths similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about moths’ bodies, both inside and out. This book contains directions for creating a moth garden, where you can watch new moths emerge. Learn more about this exciting member of nature’s fascinating Insect World.

Common among moths is a mate-finding system in which females emit a pheromone that induces males to fly upwind along the pheromone plume. Since the chemical pheromone of the domesticated silk moth was identified in 1959, a steady increase in the number of moth species whose pheromone attractants have been identified now results in a rich base for review and synthesis. Pheromone Communication in Moths summarizes moth pheromone biology, covering the chemical structures used by the various lineages, signal production and perception, the genetic control of moth pheromone traits, interactions of pheromones with host-plant volatiles, pheromone dispersal and orientation, male pheromones and courtship, and the evolutionary forces that have likely shaped pheromone signals and their role in sexual selection. Also included are chapters on practical applications in the control and monitoring of pest species as well as case studies that address pheromone systems in a number of species and groups of closely allied species. Pheromone Communication in Moths is an invaluable resource for entomologists, chemical ecologists, pest-management scientists, and professionals who study pheromone communication and pest management.

The Saturniidae are among the largest and showiest moths in North America. This comprehensive work covers the life history and taxonomy of a hundred species and subspecies of these Lepidoptera. The beautiful adults and larvae of all species are illustrated in thirty color plates, which are supported by line drawings of cocoons, distribution maps, and photographs of behavior. More than a natural history guide, this book includes chapters in population biology, life history strategies, disease and parasitoids, and the importance of silk moths of human culture. The systematic account emphasizes genetic differences among populations and the process of speciation and presents new information on experimental hybridization and life histories. For the student, researcher, and naturalist, here is practical information on collecting, rearing, and conducting original research. The entire text is referenced to an extensive bibliography.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Feeling quite ordinary, a plain gray moth sadly compares itself to its more exotic kin, such as the Luna Moth, the Spider Moth, and the Hummingbird Moth. And the little moth feels even worse when a young girl sees it and says "Eww!" But things change when her brother explains that this particular type of moth is his favorite kind of insect. Maybe an ordinary moth is really extraordinary after all. Back matter includes fascinating moth facts, along with a special activity.

Reprint. Originally published: New York: Grosset & Dunlap, A1909.