Once in a Blue Moon...or a Lime Green One

While the weather hasn't been cooperative this last week it seems at least some of the local bugs are playing along with the launch of Banished's Bugs. This Luna Moth  (Actias luna) turned up tonight on the back deck draw to the lights in the kitchen. We usually only see one or two a year so the timing couldnt have been better. This is the first generation of the year, there is a second flight in June.

Wing span is about 4 inches and this one was perfect, clearly freshly emerged. I wish the pictures were a fraction sharper but it was dark outside and I had to use manual focus on a moving subject.

Beautiful though isn't it? It stayed around 5 minutes and then took off and flew up into the oak tree.  Its now considered an endangered species and it's only found in the eastern United States and southern Canada.

Its creatures like this or the Imperial moth with 5 inch plus wingspan that really set you back or your heels as a nature lovin' Brit in the USA. I had the odd Poplar Hawk back in Gloucester but theres not much flying around anywhere that can compare to this.