A photo of that moth accompanies this column. This luna was a female, as evidenced by its narrow antennae. The male looks ...

It’s as big as a large butterfly but it’s actually a moth, a female promethea ... Learn how to identify a luna moth. Caterpillars go through several instars before creating a cocoon.

The Luna Moth is the fairy of the insect world with pale green wings shaped like leaves and long, streaming tails. Its mission is to mate before its short life ends, usually within a week.

This story appears in the June 2016 issue of National Geographic magazine. Light green, long winged, and roughly the size of a playing card, the luna moth is a striking creature. It’s a clever ...