We had an insect identification thread awhile back, and I was happy to find out that the things with the oddly-shaped wings hanging around my office were luna moths. Man, those things were all over the place for awhile.
Very cool hobby. Way strange, but way cool.
Okay, so I can be this brand of geek. Where under the walnut trees do you see the cocoons? On the ground? On leaves? What do they look like and how big are they?
Yeah? I think I got that link from a Knitty.com link. I’ve been saving it for an appropriate thread. After browsing his site, I really, really wanted to raise silkmoths for a bit, but then I thought better of it. My cats would undoubtedly confiscate all my hard-earned silk.
Very cool and lovely critters. 
I love luna moths. I had a large insect collection when I was a kid, but never had a luna moth.
Beautiful creatures.
Not that I would know, but the first time you see one, when you and a girlfriend are alone in the house in the country and tripping on acid and one flies in and lands on your fridge, you will without a doubt, be utterly, totally fascinated and freaked out. Especially if you had never seen one, heard of one or had any idea that moths can get that BIG.
So, so pretty.
What are those big moths that are a pale fawn brown with pretty pink spots or markings?
You’re probably thinking of the Cynthia moths. I have about 40 cocoons of these hanging from the roof of my moth cage. They will emerge sometime in the next 3 or 4 weeks. They are even rarer than the Luna moths.
Kalhoun, you look for the cocoons on the ground beneath the trees in the leaf litter. They are easiest to find just before all the leaves drop from the trees and cover them up. They are hard to spot at first, but once you get used to what they look like, it becomes much easier.
This is wonderful! You have an awesome hobby.
Neat!
I raised some butterflies one year - Painted Ladies. It was a lot of fun - I should do it again.
You know what I love about the Dope? I’m always finding out new forms of geekiness … that seem extremely cool to me.
I absolutely adore Saturnid moths. I belong to the World’s Largest Saturniidae Site which has tons of information on identification, habits, and rearing of Saturnid moths. The site has members from around the world who submit fantastic photos and descriptions of exotic species. There are also links to breeders worldwide.
I became interested in these moths when I was researching traditional Native American (and other indigenous groups’) musical instruments. Many cultures around the world create moth cocoon rattles by filling the empty cocoons with pebbles or sand. They can be strung on a wooden handle or sewn on long laces that are wound around the legs of a dancer. They produce a wonderfully soft sssssh-sssssh sound.
I’ve always been fascinated by Luna Moths. When I was a kid, we had a wooded lot. We’d often find Luna or other Saturniid moths resting on the wall of the house. I haven’t seen one of those moths since I moved to the midwest.
Thanks for being a such a nerd and having this very cool hobby.
Ditto. We need more nerdy people spreading the mothiness. Sadly my cats and limited space mitigates against it. But I’m with you in spirit :D.
- Tamerlane