luna-moths

By Sandra Markle

Book Overview

See for yourself one of the most amazing masters of change in the insect kingdom--the luna moth! Hatching from a tiny egg, the luna moth begins its life as a caterpillar just 0.11 inch (3 millimeters) long. An eating machine, the caterpillar grows and sheds its skin--or molts--four times. Then it stitches a silk cocoon among the fallen leaves and becomes a pupa. Inside the pupa, the insect's body dissolves and reforms. After about six months, the insect emerges as a beautiful luna moth with a wingspan of up to 5 inches (127 millimeters)--more than 40 times its original size! In this exciting book, you can learn what makes luna moths similar to and different from other insects. Close-up photographs and diagrams reveal extraordinary details about moths' bodies, both inside and out. This book contains directions for creating a moth garden, where you can watch new moths emerge. Learn more about this exciting member of nature's fascinating Insect World.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B00A2Q5ZLQ
• ISBN13: 9780822573029
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

This well-researched book and the stunning photographs will fascinate the reader!

If you like "bugs," more specifically insects, you'll enjoy reading about the fascinating life of the luna moth. There are several differences between a moth and a butterfly, but if you aren't familiar with them you'll think everything you see with wings is a butterfly. The differences, explained in this book, are easy once you take a look at the bodies, the antennae and the positioning of their wings when they are at rest. The luna moth has a complete four stage metamorphosis, ending in the beautiful adult stage. In this book you will learn about how the female moth gives off pheromones to attract a mate, the special sensors the male has to track the female scent, the mating process, what kind of trees the female selects to lay her eggs on, the larvae, the hungry caterpillars, the toxic substance the babies give off to protect themselves, how some caterpillars camouflage themselves, the exoskeleton (both of the caterpillar and the moth), how the caterpillar molts, the cocoon, the emergence of the moth and how the moths defend themselves. This is a fascinating and well-researched book. There are beautiful photographs on almost every page and "Moth Facts" scattered throughout the book. In the back of the book are two additional pages on insect life cycles, a glossary, an index, "Luna Moth Activities" and additional recommended book and website resources. This is one of eight books in the "Insect World Series," an excellent science series you might wish to consider for your library, classroom or homeschool shelves!