Luna glory

This morning an anticipated visitor arrived, a Luna Moth was clinging to my kitchen window frame. This marvelous creature has captured my attention since the first one I saw in 2005 fluttering in the dark at my living room window drawn by the flickering late night television. This mornings visitor was at the end of a hard journey. Not pristine as those previously enticed by light in the darkness, this male Luna had traveled a hard road. Winter weather returned with winds and snow which also left some very hungry birds on the hunt about the time it emerged. One ratty wing had lost at least a third of its green glory and the breeze that pleased me by keeping the emerging black flies from having breakfast on me (literally) had the Luna cling tight in the morning sun. Battered and torn he would not be able to fly off to a safe daytime hiding place so I gently collected him. He gave no resistance, no fluttering, just climbed onto the cardboard I slowly slid under the front legs and, protected by a clear plastic bell, I took him to the shelter of my log pile for a safe place to stay. I have often seen pictures of these large moths but until I moved north I was not fortunate enough to see one, now I look forward to their arrival and seeing a few of them in the late spring and early summer nights. Living in the winged form only about 7 days their beautiful light green long lobed wings are unmistakable and the four simple eyes are dynamic. The size of this beauty always takes my breath away and makes him a hard creature to miss. Late at night one may flutter at the kitchen window when I leave the light low so I don’t fall over a cat or the dog as I wander through or when I leave the outside light on I sometimes find one clinging to the door amongst the myriad moths and insects. A flashing glimpse is sometimes caught in the car beams during a nighttime drive down my road. It is usually later in the season, when the nights are warm, that I find a Luna, this fellow may not have even been able to mate if there is not a female around yet but batter and torn as he is he is no less beautiful than a newly emerged Luna on a warm July night.