A neighbor and good friend who lives along Piney Woods Church Road emailed me today with exciting news. While clearing out part of his property for eventual use as horse pasture, he discovered a Luna Moth (Actias luna), probably female, that had just emerged from its cocoon. By the time I arrived with my camera, it had already puffed out its wings and hung nearly motionless, apart from twitching one of its antennae (which remind me of fern fronds) every couple of seconds. I took quite a few photographs, entranced by its alien beauty, unlike any other moth native to this region. Tonight it will take wing, find a mate, lay eggs…and die only a few days afterward. Luna Moths lack mouth parts; their only tasks are to mate and make the way for the next generation.
