SHANGRALA'S

GIANT SILK MOTHS!

Moths are any of about 160,000 species of overwhelmingly nocturnal flying insects that vary greatly in size, ranging in wingspan from about .16 inch to nearly 1 foot. Highly adapted, they live in all but polar habitats. The wings, bodies, and legs of moths are covered with dustlike scales that come off if the insect is handled. Compared with butterflies, moths have stouter bodies and duller coloring. Moths also have distinctive feathery or thick antennae. When at rest, moths either fold their wings tentlike over the body, wrap them around the body, or hold them extended at their sides, whereas butterflies hold their wings vertically.       Giant silk moths have stunning color patterns and classical names like cecropia, luna, promethea, and polyphemus to match their physical beauty. The 'silk' part of their family name comes from the fine thread that their caterpillars produce to spin the cocoons where they transform into moths. While our North American species have never been used to manufacture silk, the thread from some of their Asian cousins has been used for this purpose for thousands of years.       Here Are Some Of God's Beauties. Enjoy! :) CECROPIA With a wingspan of five to seven inches, it's the largest moth found in North America. They are in hardwood forests east of the Rocky Mountains in the US and Canada. They're attracted to street and porch lights, which is where most people encounter them. Caterpillars feed on leaves throughout the summer. The adult moths don't eat at all. PROMETHEA The Promethea moth is a large insect about 3-4 inches that can be spotted easily during the month of May and in early June, spread throughout the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The caterpillars feed on spicebush, ash, tulips, lilacs, sassafras, and sweet-bay leaves. The Males and females differ. The male body is black; wings are black with tan borders, faint tan postmedian lines, and pink near the eyespots on the forewing tips. Female wings are dark brown to reddish-brown with tan borders and well-developed tan cell spots on all wings. LUNA Luna moths are about four or five inches across, but some specimens can be larger than seven inches. Also known as the American Moon Moth, they are common throughout South Carolina. Found only in North America, the luna moth starts out as a very hungry caterpillar constantly munching on the leaves of walnut, hickory, sweet gum, and paper birch trees. After about a month the caterpillar builds a cocoon. The insect lives inside it for about three weeks, then emerges as a moth. The insect doesn't have a mouth or a digestive system. That's because it only lives for about a week after leaving the cocoon, and it doesn't ever eat. POLYPHEMUS The polyphemus moth is about 4 to 6 inches and one of our largest and most beautiful silk moths. It is named after Polyphemus, the giant cyclops from Greek mythology who had a single large, round, eye in the middle of his forehead. They are found from southern Canada down into Mexico and in all of the lower 48 states except for Arizona and Nevada. ROSY MAPLE The Rosy Maple Moth is a smaller North American moth that is also of the family Saturniidae, but is often called the 'great silk moth'. Known for their charming and vibrant looks, the caterpillars of these pink-and-yellow creatures also have a distinct identity with the individual name 'greenstriped mapleworm'. The moths are also popular in the pet trade.       The family Saturniidae also known as the giant silk moth family have bodies that are thick and hairy. Many members of the family have large spots on their wings surrounded by concentric rings of color. The pattern reminded earlier scientists of the planet Saturn with its surrounding rings and was responsible for the family's scientific name.

Amaze Your Friends And...

Share God's Beauties With Them. :)








SEE ALSO: Beautiful Monarch Butterflies!






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