Prince Charming

This luna moth's tale is a tragic romance. Two summers ago, we found a luna moth inside our shed. We thought it must have just emerged from its cocoon, because its wings were shriveled. We freed it from the confines of the shed and placed it on our son Gideon's outdoor chair.

Luna moths only live 7 days after exiting their cocoons. This is all the time a luna moth has to mate and lay hundreds of eggs before finally perishing.

The female excretes a pheromone that can attract a Prince Charming from a great distance. But after our moth remained on the chair all day, we went to bed worried that she would attract a predator.

The next morning revealed a pair of wings that were not shriveled. But they didn't belong to our belle. A saturniid suitor had come in the night!

We learned afterward that female luna moths don't fly until after they mate. Then they take off to search for host plants on which to lay their eggs. By the following morning, only the male remained on the chair. He seemed not long for this world, so I put him in a jar. That way, he could enjoy a natural passing, and I could secure a handsome art model (Disclaimer: This is not how I secure my human models).

It took me 2 years, but I finally painted the dashing devil!

PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase this painting framed, it may take up to 5 additional weeks before you receive your new painting. This is because each custom-made frame is ordered as needed.