luna moth


Also found in: Thesaurus, Wikipedia.

lu·na moth

 (lo͞o′nə)
n.
A large pale-green North American saturniid moth (Actias luna) with hind wings that have elongated tips.

[New Latin lūna, species name, from Latin, moon; see lunar.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

luna moth

n
(Animals) a large American saturniid moth, Tropaea (or Actias) luna, having light green wings with a yellow crescent-shaped marking on each forewing
[C19: so named from the markings on its wings]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

lu′na moth`


n.
a pale green saturniid moth, Actias luna, with crescent spots and long tails on the hind wings.
[1850–55, Amer.]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.luna moth - large pale-green American moth with long-tailed hind wings and a yellow crescent-shaped mark on each forewingluna moth - large pale-green American moth with long-tailed hind wings and a yellow crescent-shaped mark on each forewing
saturniid, saturniid moth - large brightly colored and usually tropical moth; larvae spin silken cocoons
Actias, genus Actias - luna moths
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
But did you know that American hornbeam also serves as a host for the luna moth, the eastern tiger swallowtail and a whopping 66 additional species of butterflies and moths?
The luna moth, for example is one big beautiful moth with no mouth!
But I found an opportunity when the most observant member of my family, my ten-month-old, spied--and then naturally tried to eat--a gorgeous green luna moth that was lying in a dusty corner by the sink.
As I wait for the green grandeur of luna moth, wings once apprehended then gone out of sight, I will wait for you.
I've always known the moon as "Luna" (luna moth, lunacy) (Garth Price, Eugene)
For example, the beautiful Luna moth does not have a mouth -- so cannot eat -- and will live only for about one week, with the singular purpose of mating!
Those pretty green tails fluttering and whirling at the end of a luna moth's hind wings turn out to be pretty good defensive weapons in an acoustic war with predatory bats.
We enjoy the ups and downs of their success in the world of comics as they create the cartoon characters The Escapist and Luna Moth. A winner of multiple awards, Kavalier and Clay is Chabon at his finest.
We also kept garter snakes, which we took to middle school during the winter (They only escaped a couple of times inside the classroom!) We'd patrol the backyard garden, and it was so exciting to see something new, like the buckeye butterfly or a luna moth.
I've seen you, she says: once I was a Luna moth outside your
The luna moth, one of the world's largest, is usually found fluttering around as far afield as Nepal, Borneo and the Philippines, but was discovered by workers on a factory site in Tipton.
Amy Crawford photographed this luna moth in a moment of vulnerability.