Once under the oak trees of a summer resort, Miss Katherine Howell,
of Philadelphia, intercepted a Luna caterpillar in the preliminary
race before pupation and brought it to me. We offered young oak
leaves, but they were refused, so it went before the camera.
Behind the hotel I found an empty hominy can in which it soon began
spinning, but it seemed to be difficult to fasten the threads to the
tin, so a piece of board was cut and firmly wedged inside. The
caterpillar clung to this and in the darkness of the can spun the
largest and handsomest Luna winter quarters of all my experience.
Luna hunters can secure material from which to learn this exquisite
creature of night, by searching for the moths on the trunks of
oak, walnut, hickory, birch or willow, during the month of June.
The moths emerge on the ground, and climb these trees to unfold and
harden their wings. The females usually remain where they are,
and the males are attracted to them. If undisturbed they do not
fly until after mating and egg depositing are accomplished.
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