Luna waxing
Wicked_Dark
Registered Users Posts: 1,138 Major grins
Not really macro...too humble for wildlife, in here it goes.
I've been AWOL for a while...just caught up in other things. I still shoot though and somehow, by some incredible chance, I spied this luna moth on a striped maple this spring. It was at the end of a hike and the light was frigging perfect. My husband, luckily, is used to me flipping out about stuff like this and was patient while I shot.
Later, while researching the species, I discovered that the adults live only a week or so and don't eat since they don't have mouths. This one has just emerged from its chrysalis and is pumping up those glorious wings. It's probably a male since his antenna are big and bushy. They only fly at night to mate. The caterpillars go through (if I remember rightly) something like 6 instar stages, with the last being the adult. It seems that evolution selected them for their larva stages, not adult. Odd. In my state they are considered critically endangered and this is only the 2nd one I've ever seen.
Anyway...thus endeth the lesson. Thanks for taking a peek.
I've been AWOL for a while...just caught up in other things. I still shoot though and somehow, by some incredible chance, I spied this luna moth on a striped maple this spring. It was at the end of a hike and the light was frigging perfect. My husband, luckily, is used to me flipping out about stuff like this and was patient while I shot.
Later, while researching the species, I discovered that the adults live only a week or so and don't eat since they don't have mouths. This one has just emerged from its chrysalis and is pumping up those glorious wings. It's probably a male since his antenna are big and bushy. They only fly at night to mate. The caterpillars go through (if I remember rightly) something like 6 instar stages, with the last being the adult. It seems that evolution selected them for their larva stages, not adult. Odd. In my state they are considered critically endangered and this is only the 2nd one I've ever seen.
Anyway...thus endeth the lesson. Thanks for taking a peek.
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