LUNA MOTH

On a hot, muggy July night this elusive beauty I managed to catch while it rested for its last time on the screen door of one of my neighbors.  I was 13 years old, 1972, and one of my many hobbies was insect collecting, 

I would catch, mount, and display them at several country fairs earning ribbons and a buttload of knowledge.

This is a Luna Moth (actias luna), a male.  A member of the giant silkworm moth family Saturnidae, it lives in the forests of North America.  I have had this moth -- along with several others -- still mounted and in pristine condition.  More than likely I will donate the collection to a university or  museum so they can continue to raise a sense of awe...many of you have no idea that these amazing creatures exist along side of us!

Granted it is not technically "art", but this type of work is extremely exacting and tedious.