A Luna moth resting on the bark of a tree along the trail.
There are species I sometimes think I’ll never see in a natural setting, and many moths fall into that category. I might see them early in the morning or late at night around buildings, but finding them out in nature? Nope.
A closeup of the Luna moth showing some of the fascinating patterns and structures.
Thankfully, the Luna moth proved me wrong! While hiking the trails of Prince William Forest Park one afternoon in late April I just happened to see a shape and color that stood out near the base of a tree, and found this particular Luna moth resting on the bark. As often happens with resting moths, this one paid me no heed whatsoever as I inched closer and closer with the camera, so I was able to get some closeup views of this beautiful moth. I hope you enjoy them.
A vertical view of the Luna moth.
Then in late May I had a second encounter in the same park. This time I found a Luna moth resting upside down on the branch of a downed tree. Seeing it from this perspective allows us to see that nice set of eyes on the lower inside wings, and also gives a view of the white body of the moth. This particular one appears to have lost the tips of its two tails.
The underside of a Luna moth
Facing down a Luna moth
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