The campers found an unusual large green moth on their cabin door and took pictures to learn more about it. They were curious about what kind of moth it was, if it was common in the area, and how it would survive since they had never seen one before. Using online resources and comparing the pictures, one camper was able to identify the moth as a Luna Moth, which is found in some counties in Indiana including where their camp was located, so it can survive in the area.

1. Luna Moths

2. What was the experience? Several of my fourth-sixth grade campers found a large green moth on the screen door of their cabin. It’s size, shape, and color was unlike any moth they had ever seen before. They became fascinated with the moth and had so many questions about it! They also took pictures of it so that they could talk to their parents about it and learn more about it upon returning home.

3. Questions We Had What kind of moth is this? Where did it come from? Is it common in this area since we had never seen one before? If not, how would it survive? How did it get here? How long would it stay on the door? How long would it live?

4. Connections with Standards Technology & Science 4.1.5 View Resource(s) Demonstrate how measuring instruments, such as microscopes, telescopes, and cameras, can be used to gather accurate information for making scientific comparisons of objects and events. Note that measuring instruments, such as rulers, can also be used for designing and constructing things that will work properly. 5.1.4 View Resource(s) Give examples of technology, such as telescopes, microscopes, and cameras, that enable scientists and others to observe things that are too small or too far away to be seen without them and to study the motion of objects that are moving very rapidly or are hardly moving. Manipulation & Observation 5.2.4 View Resource(s) Keep a notebook to record observations and be able to distinguish inferences from actual observations. 5.4.4 View Resource(s) Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some do not survive as well, and some cannot survive at all.

5. What kind of moth is this? I began my research on Google by typing in “Moths found in Southern Indiana.” By doing this, I was assuming that the moth was normally found in Southern Indiana. If the moth was not usually found in Southern Indiana, this would have been a roadblock I found this website: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/. I began viewing the pictures and descriptions of the moth, and comparing it with the picture of the moth I had taken. Eventually, I found the Luna Moth, which was identical to the moth found on the screen door at camp. If I had not taken the picture, it would have been much harder for me to determine what kind of moth it had been. With the photo, I was able to compare the moth until I found the same one on line, and then I was able to determine what kind of moth it was.

6. Is this type of moth common to the area, since we had never seen it before? This also answered my question, Is it common to the area, since we had never seen it before? This particular type of moth is a Wild Silk Moth, found in several Indiana counties including the county where my camp was located. The map below shows where the moth is found.