First Luna Moth

I always listen for Claude Debussy's classic song, "Clair de Lune," when the first Luna Moths appear at the kitchen porch lights in the spring and early summer, but when this ghostly beauty—a male, by the size of its feathery antennae—stopped by for a brief visit, the only night music was the distant drone of Route 95 traffic. The lime green wings looked perfect, their predator-deterring eyespots gazing balefully, so I'm guessing that this member of the Actias luna clan probably emerged from his cocoon just this morning. He was one of the fortunate ones not to have been parasitized by a small fly that was introduced to take care of gypsy moth infestations. Alas, in an example of the law of unintended consequences, after the fly had helped knock down populations of the pests, it turned its attention to native species, the larvae of the giant silk moths in particular, and the result has been a devastating decline in Luna Moth numbers. But this guy made it through the parasite gauntlet, and for the week he lives, he'll be out and about scanning the air with those giant antennae for the telltale scent of a receptive female. I was lucky to see him. I hope this luck holds in matters of the Actias "heart."