SpeciesFacts

All species › Butterflies and moths › Luna Moth

Luna Moth

Actias luna

Butterfly or moth · family Saturniidae · order Lepidoptera

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Luna Moth
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Kugamazog~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
9 states[3]

The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a moth in the family Saturniidae[4]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe ranks it Secure worldwide[1][2].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Luna Moth a global rank of G5, which means Secure[2]. Its national rank in the United States is N5, also Secure[5]. It does not appear as endangered or threatened in federal Endangered Species Act data[1]. NatureServe estimates more than 1,000,000 adults in total[6].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[5] N5 (Secure)
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[6] >1,000,000 individuals

Where Luna Moth lives

NatureServe lists the Luna Moth as native in 9 US states and territories, including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Vermont[3]. Indiana, Pennsylvania and Vermont rank it Secure at the state level, while the other listed states have not ranked it yet[7]. NatureServe notes it has declined a lot in parts of southern New England because habitat was lost, but is still generally common in other areas[8]. On GBIF, the most reports come from North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Georgia and Tennessee, which reflects where people look and report[9].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank SNRILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: native, state rank S5INOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5PANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: native, state rank SNRRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: native, state rank SNRKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: native, state rank SNRARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank SNRSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[7].
Show state ranks (9 states)
StateRankMeaning
ArkansasSNRNot Ranked
IllinoisSNRNot Ranked
IndianaS5Secure
KentuckySNRNot Ranked
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
PennsylvaniaS5Secure
Rhode IslandSNRNot Ranked
South CarolinaSNRNot Ranked
VermontS5Secure

Diet

Luna Moth caterpillars eat the leaves of many kinds of trees[10]. Their food plants include white birch, persimmon, sweet gum, hickory, walnut and sumac[10]. Adult moths do not eat at all[11].

Trait Value
Food habits[11] Nonfeeding

When to look for it

People report Luna Moths on GBIF most often in June, July and August[12]. June has the most records of any month, and January has the fewest[12]. These counts show when people look for and report the moth, not how many moths there are[12].

January: 52 recordsJanFebruary: 377 recordsFebMarch: 2,677 recordsMarApril: 4,700 recordsAprMay: 6,935 recordsMayJune: 8,337 recordsJunJuly: 7,643 recordsJulAugust: 7,985 recordsAugSeptember: 3,066 recordsSepOctober: 770 recordsOctNovember: 172 recordsNovDecember: 44 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[12].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January52
February377
March2,677
April4,700
May6,935
June8,337
July7,643
August7,985
September3,066
October770
November172
December44

Where to see it

States with the most GBIF observation records: North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee[9]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Luna Moth endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide[2].
Where do Luna Moths live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 9 US states and territories, such as Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Vermont[3]. Many reports also come from North Carolina, Virginia and Texas[9].
What do Luna Moths eat?
The caterpillars feed on trees such as birch, persimmon, sweet gum, hickory, walnut and sumac[10]. Adults do not feed[11].
When can you see a Luna Moth?
Most GBIF records are from June, July and August[12].

Facts and sources

  1. Luna Moth is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Luna Moth: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Luna Moth as native in 9 US states and territories: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a butterfly or moth in the family Saturniidae, order Lepidoptera. NatureServe Explorer
  5. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe state ranks for Luna Moth (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe notes on trend for Luna Moth. NatureServe Explorer
  9. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Luna Moth: North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  10. NatureServe notes on food for Luna Moth. NatureServe Explorer
  11. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Nonfeeding. NatureServe Explorer
  12. GBIF observation records of Luna Moth in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Kugamazog~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.