Truly a showstopper, the beautiful pale green luna moth is named for its round moonlike eyespots. Common in forested areas across eastern North America, the nocturnal adults are frequently encountered at artificial lights. The characteristic long, curved hind wing tails are more than just ornamentation. They actually help protect the moths from being eaten. As the moths fly, their tails flutter, producing an acoustic signal that confuses bats, common predators of night-flying insects. The resulting signal causes the bats to target the long tails, leaving the Luna moth’s body unharmed. The chubby, bright-green caterpillars feed on a variety of hardwood trees, including walnut, hickory, persimmon, and sweetgum. When mature, they spin papery silken cocoons among growing leaves, which both eventually fall to the ground in autumn.
Believe It or Not: Adult Luna moths do not feed. Instead, they live off the food reserves acquired as caterpillars. The same is true for other giant silk moths.
Polyphemus Moth
Size: Wingspan 4.0–5.8 inches
ID Tips: Large; tan to reddish-brown wings with prominent hind wing eyespots
Range: Throughout the United States
This impressive insect is one of the largest and most widely distributed giant silkworm moths in North America. It may also be one of the most distinctive. No other large brown moth has the conspicuous yellow-centered black hind wing eyespots. Common in deciduous forests, it has adapted well to more urban settings, including wooded suburban neighborhoods, parks, and even parking lots that support its host trees. The adults are frequently attracted to artificial lights. Females are generally larger than males and have plump, round bodies and narrow antennae. Males have broad, fernlike antennae and tapered abdomens. The chubby, bright-green caterpillars feed solitarily on a wide variety of broadleaf trees, including oak, elm, birch, and dogwood, and may reach nearly three inches long when fully grown. The pale oval cocoons are about the size of a chicken egg. They are attached to branches with silk and frequently hang downward where they can be quite easy to spot on a leafless tree in winter.
Believe It or Not: Woodpeckers and even hungry squirrels often predate the robust brown pupae inside the egg-size cocoons.
Beetles (Order Coleoptera)
May Beetle
Size:0.5–1.0 inch long
ID Tips:Stout, unmarked shiny-tan-to-reddish-brown oblong body
Range: Throughout the United States
Also called June bugs, these abundant drab-colored beetles are virtually synonymous with the beginning of summer. Strongly attracted to artificial lights at night, they are clumsy fliers that often awkwardly bang into windows or screens with a droning buzz. Numerous species occur across North America, each with a distinct life cycle that varies in length from one to four years. Female beetles lay their eggs in the soil. The resulting larvae are C-shaped white grubs that feed underground on plant roots or decaying organic material. They are often encountered while digging in flowerbeds or under turf grass. A variety of common suburban animals—from skunks to opossums and moles—all feed on the white grubs, digging through loose or moist earth while they forage. When fully grown, the larvae pupate underground. As their name suggests, the rounded adult beetles begin to emerge the following spring in May and June.
Believe It or Not: In cold climates during the winter, the developing grubs will move deeper underground below the frost line to avoid freezing.
Click Beetle
Size:0.5–1.2 inches long
ID Tips: Brown to black; elongated often dull or unmarked body
Range: Throughout the United States
While often lackluster in appearance, click beetles have an entertaining personality. They are adept actors and readily play dead if disturbed. They accentuate this appearance by tucking their legs and antennae under their body and remaining motionless until danger has passed. Click beetles also have a much more exciting behavior. The beetle has a hinged joint on the thorax that allows it to arch back. Once in this position, it quickly snaps itself straight, causing a loud “click” and propelling the insect up in the air, often several inches high. This sudden leap, along with the accompanying sound, likely serves to effectively startle any would-be predator, including most humans. Adult beetles are nocturnal and are often seen at artificial lights. Their larvae mainly live in soil or rotting stumps where they prey on other insects or feed on plant material.
Believe It or Not: The distinctive clicking behavior can also help a beetle right itself if turned on its back.
Ten-lined June Bug
Size:0.75–1.25 inches long
ID Tips: Brown oval body; vertical white stripes and noticeably clubbed antennae
Range: The western United States
This is a distinctive, stout beetle of the western United States. The large adults are brown with bold white stripes and are commonly attracted to artificial lights at night. They typically go unnoticed during the day, hiding in leaf litter or weedy vegetation. Male beetles have prominent fanlike antennae that they use to detect pheromones produced by females. Mated females lay eggs in the soil. The resulting whitish grubs feed on plant roots and typically take two years to fully develop. They can cause significant damage to various crops, including fruit trees and many other economically important plants. Depending on the geographic location and length of the growing season, it can take several years for the grubs to complete development.
Believe It or Not: The adults make a relatively loud hissing sound when handled or disturbed. This noise presumably startles attacking predators.
Grapevine Beetle
Size:0.8–1.2 inches long
ID Tips: Oval yellow or orange-brown body with black spots and legs
Range: The eastern United States
The grapevine beetle is a member of a diverse group of conspicuous, often quite showy, beetles called shining leaf chafers. Altogether there are about 4,000 species found worldwide. Throughout the eastern United States, the grapevine beetle, or spotted June bug as it is sometimes called, is commonly encountered at artificial lights. The bulky adults have a strong but somewhat clumsy flight and make a noticeable buzzing sound. As their name suggests, they feed on the leaves of grapes and Virginia creeper, two common and widespread plants in and near wooded areas. Their whitish larvae live in the soil and feed on rotting wood.
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