This morning we noticed Banjo, our terrier, giving a lot of attention to a specific area of our deck. We get inquisitive when he gets inquisitive (mainly because we want to prevent him from eating something he shouldn't or playing with something that does not want to be played with), so we checked and found a luna moth (Actias luna) on the deck.
Luna moths are huge, with a wingspan of 4.5" or more, but are surprisingly hard to notice. Their shape and color allows them to blend in with the foliage of the trees they prefer, especially the sweetgum tree. There are spots on their wings that mimic eyes to help ward off predators and the females have two sets of these eye spots.
