Luna, Luna, Luna

The Luna is one of those delicate creatures that truly shocks people with its size, beauty and elegance. Many people, on seeing a luna for the first time, comment that it seems exotic or tropical. Someone recently said to me, "We didn't know that such beautiful moths were found in Canada!" and "They are so big".

The two other giant silkworm moths, polyphemus and io, are much less spectacular than the cecropia (luna) in both size and colour. They are however, larger than other species and have special features that make them stand out among other moths.

The polyphemus is large (just a bit smaller than the cecropia), yellowish-brown in colour and with a round window-like spot near the centre of each wing. The io has a wing spread of 6 to 9 cm (2” to 2.5”); males are bright yellow, with a large eye spot in each hind wing; females are similar but have dark brown front wings.

The larvae of these giant silkworm moths are large as well, 8 cm (3”). The io larva has stinging spines and can cause a painful experience if handled carelessly.

Photos by Clayton Rollins