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Luna moth
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{{short description|Species of insect}} {{good article}} {{Use dmy dates |date=April 2025}} {{Speciesbox | name = Luna moth | image = Actias luna-male.jpg | image_caption = Male | image2 = Actias luna female sjh.JPG | image2_caption = Female | status = G5 | status_system = TNC | status_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.109121/Actias_luna |website=explorer.natureserve.org |access-date=20 June 2022}}</ref> | taxon = Actias luna | authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) }} [[File:Luna Moth2.jpg|thumb|Mounted specimen]] The '''luna moth''' ('''''Actias luna'''''), also called the '''American moon moth''', is a [[Nearctic realm|Nearctic]] [[moth]] in the family [[Saturniidae]], subfamily [[Saturniinae]], a group [[common name|commonly named]] the [[giant silk moth]]s. The moth has [[lime (color)|lime-green]] wings and a white body. Its [[caterpillar]]s are also green. Its typical [[wingspan]] is roughly {{cvt|114|mm|in}}, but wingspans can exceed {{cvt|178|mm|in}}, ranking the species as one of the larger moths in [[North America]]. Across Canada, it has one generation per year, with the winged adults appearing in late May or early June, whereas farther south it will have two or even three generations per year, the first appearance as early as March in [[Southern United States|southern parts]] of the United States.<ref name=Tuskes1996 /> As [[defense mechanism]]s, larvae emit clicks as a warning and can also regurgitate intestinal contents, confirmed as having a [[anti-predator adaptation|deterrent effect]] on a variety of predators.<ref name=Brown2007/> The elongated tails of the hindwings are thought to confuse the [[animal echolocation|echolocation]] detection used by predatory bats.<ref name=Lee2016 /><ref name=Barber2015 /> A [[Compsilura concinnata|parasitoid fly]] deliberately [[introduced species|introduced]] to North America as a [[biological pest control]] for the [[invasive species]] [[Lymantria dispar|spongy moth]] (also known as gypsy moth) appears to have had a negative impact on luna moths and other native moths.<ref name=Elkinton2004 /><ref name=Kellogg2003 />
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