links!
insect shrine!!
insects are one of my oldest special interests! some of my favorites are moths, specifically actias luna, attacus atlas, acherontia styx, acherontia atropos, and chrysiridia rhipheus, stag beetles, mantids, and cicadas! i have a pinned cicada that i purchased from an antique shop, as well as a pinned moth (actias luna) that i recieved as a gift! arthropods in general are very interesting to me, and a lot of them are pretty cute :]!
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the luna moth or american moon moth
actias luna
the luna moth is a member of the family saturniidae, commonly called giant silk moths. after they pupate into their adult forms, these moths do not have mouths, and cannot eat. they will mate and then die, and they only live for around 7-10 days as moths. the tails at the ends of their wings are non-essential, but help to protect them from bats which prey upon them - the bats end up attacking the tails, and not the wings or body of the moth! a few of the tree species that the larvae feed on are white birch, american persimmon, and several species of walnut trees.
