Eco Mural 13: Luna Moth

Location: The Cube at 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, PA
Artist: Designed, illustrated, and painted by Hagopian Arts

The Subject of Admiration

Few moths are as beautiful or as striking as the Luna Moth. Its vibrant green wings, magenta markings, and graceful elongated hindwing tails make them the subject of much admiration amongst entomologists and nature-lovers alike.

The Luna Moth is the largest moth in North America, averaging a wingspan of about 3-4 inches. Luna Moths prefer to live in deciduous forests and have an expansive range that covers the eastern half of North America. Their beautiful coloring serves as camouflage amongst the bright green leaves of the trees that they prefer to lay their eggs on. In addition to their striking green coloring, they feature distinct markings that emulate twigs with buds on their forewings to further the camouflage illusion. Scientists believe that the silky tails on the hindwings of adult Lunas may be used to disrupt the sonar calls that bats use to locate prey in the dark. Luna Moth caterpillars also have unique ways to foil predators: if camouflage fails them, they rear up into a “sphynx” position, emitting a clicking sound, and regurgitating a foul-tasting liquid.

Luna Moth Life Cycles

Luna Moths are often used in classrooms to show their lifecycles. Once a caterpillar hatches from an egg, it will go through five molt stages, also called instars, before wrapping itself in leaves and a papery cocoon to begin its metamorphosis into an adult Luna. Luna caterpillars eat the leaves of several tree species native to eastern North America, including hickory, beech, cherry, willow, and birch. After three weeks inside the cocoon, the metamorphosed Luna cuts its way out of its cocoon using serrated “teeth” near the base of its forewings and emerges with folded, uninflated wings. Lunas tend to exit their cocoons in the morning, allowing a day for them to inflate and dry their wings in time for the evening. Adults do not eat, living only to find a mate and reproduce within a week before they pass away. This process can be repeated up to three times between April and August, with the final round of cocooned caterpillars (pupae), falling to the leaf litter on the ground, and going dormant until the next warm season the following year.

Luna Moths are experiencing population loss in large numbers due to several factors: ecological degradation, human encroachment on wild spaces, use of pesticides, poaching, and light pollution.

The 2016 Trump administration took a relaxed stance on enforcing the sanctity of our national parks and lands set aside for conservation, and we have seen an increase in development on previously protected lands. Regulations on air and water pollution are also being rolled back in the name of supporting big business and endless profit growth. Pesticides are a significant factor in the destruction of wild spaces, as they have ripple effects on wildlife surrounding agricultural areas. Pesticides lead to mass deaths of pollinators, and as a result destroy intricate chains of predation, causing destruction for both plants and animals alike. To learn more about the threats facing pollinators, especially honeybees, please visit our Honey Bees and Pollination page.

Impacts on Populations & the Ecosystem

Luna Moths are particularly affected by light pollution, which is largely unregulated within the United States. Luna Moths are attracted to light, but drawing them to our nighttime lamps and streetlights causes major harm to their reproductive cycles, which depend upon a single week’s worth of nights for Luna Moths to pick up on female pheromones, track them, locate a willing partner, and reproduce. Light pollution often thwarts those efforts, dramatically reducing the ability of Lunas to reproduce with enough numbers to support healthy populations. Due to their large size, Luna Moths are high-value prey for owls, bats, birds, and other insectivores, and as moth populations suffer, so do these valuable predators. It doesn’t take much to break the delicate chains of prey and predator within our precious wild spaces, and the fallout from the dwindling populations of Luna Moths is a great example of how that can happen. It is paramount that citizens who care about maintaining America’s ecological heritage, for both moths and the millions of creatures that share their habitats, push back against the rollback of regulations in the name of profit over people and nature. Insects are largely unrepresented in the United States’ protected species list, and so encouraging widespread wildlife conservation to ensure insects like Luna Moths have habitats to flourish in is extremely important.

About the Eco Mural and Wild Medicine Projects

The Eco Mural Project by Hagopian Arts is an ongoing series of public art installations designed to educate and inspire action on ecological and cultural issues. Each mural is a meticulously detailed, one-of-a-kind piece, blending vibrant artistry with rigorous research. These murals transport viewers into immersive natural environments, revitalizing urban spaces while addressing pressing concerns about environmental degradation.

Within this initiative, the Wild Medicine Eco Mural Project focuses specifically on the cultural heritage of medicinal plants. Through detailed depictions and thoughtful programming, the series highlights the historical, cultural, and healing significance of plants, fostering a deeper connection between individuals and the natural world.

The Eco Mural Project is rooted in the belief that reconnecting communities with nature can profoundly impact mental and physical health. These murals showcase the beauty of local flora and fauna, enlivening public spaces and encouraging residents to see their environment in a new light. This engagement inspires a sense of pride, belonging, and collective responsibility for the natural world. To enhance accessibility, each mural includes a scannable QR code linking viewers to a webpage that provides detailed information about the artwork, the plants featured, and their historical and cultural significance. These pages also honor Indigenous histories by sharing the uses, markers, and cultural associations of the depicted flora and fauna.

Community-Driven Programming and Collaborations

Hagopian Arts amplifies the impact of its murals through live events, educational initiatives, and community partnerships that engage people across generations and cultures.

Honoring Indigenous Histories and Local Ecosystems
A standout project in the Wild Medicine Series is Eco Mural 21 at Bartram’s Garden, a series of freestanding mini murals showcasing medicinal plants historically used by the Lenni Lenape people. Designed with community input, the murals feature local flora, Lenape beadwork patterns, and depictions of children on the riverbank where passionflowers grow.

Hagopian Arts conducted extensive research into Bartram’s Garden’s historical catalog to honor the Lenape people’s contributions and highlight the cultural significance of the plants. At the unveiling event on September 15th, Melaney Gilchrist, a West Philadelphia herbalist, and mindfulness yoga practitioner Nakesha Moore of Breathe Moore led workshops for community families. These sessions explored the medicinal properties of the plants while fostering connections between art, history, and wellness practices.

Through its murals and programming, Hagopian Arts creates vibrant spaces for education, inspiration, and dialogue. The Eco Mural Project bridges art and environmental advocacy, encouraging communities to cherish their local ecosystems and honor the cultural and historical ties that bind them to the natural world.

Wild Medicine: A Multidimensional Creative Experience

This live event combined public art, botanical installations, body-painted models, and performance art to merge the worlds of creativity and herbal wisdom. Hosted in collaboration with women artists, herbalists, and grassroots organizers, the event invited participants to explore the healing connections between art and nature.

Ancient Ancestral Connections

Eco Mural 18: Women’s Wild Medicine celebrates the ancestral bond between women and medicinal plants, featuring women from diverse cultural backgrounds alongside flora from their heritage. Installed at Penn OB/GYN, the mural also serves as a pilot for the Women’s Wild Medicine Initiative, a community-driven effort that highlights the healing power of native plants and their historical ties to women.

Wild Medicine Coloring Journal and Foraging Guide

In collaboration with educator and illustrator Katie Lillard, Hagopian Arts produced the Wild Medicine Journal and Coloring Illustration Booklet, inspired by the two murals created for Wild Medicine Eco Mural 15: Mugwort, Mullein, and Mallow. The booklet features twenty medicinal plants rendered in Hagopian Arts’ signature style, blending pattern, naturalism, and realism.

Hagopian Arts distributed the journal and accompanying foraging guides to schools and community organizations to introduce youth aged 3-18 to ecological awareness in both traditional and nontraditional learning settings. These resources were also shared during a mural unveiling, empowering community members to safely connect with wild plants and explore their uses in daily life.

Highlighting Interconnectivity: Eco Mural 20
As part of the Wild Medicine Eco Mural Project, Hagopian Arts created Eco Mural 20: Artelo to celebrate the interdependent relationships between plants, pollinators, and human communities. This mural was a collaborative effort with Square Roots Collective and 14 other public artists contributing uniquely to the Artelo hotel project. While each artist brought a distinct vision to the hotel’s art-filled rooms, Hagopian Arts focused on the ecological and cultural themes central to the Wild Medicine Eco Mural Project.

To expand its reach, Hagopian Arts hosted interactive workshops that engaged community members in the creative process: At Hyacinth Montessori School in West Philadelphia, children aged 6–12 participated in a painting workshop, learning about local flora and pollinators while contributing sections to the mural. This activity incorporated yoga and mindfulness practices led by Breathe Moore, blending creativity and well-being.

At John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, community members painted portions of the mural while learning about the featured species and their roles in local ecosystems.

In September 2024, Hagopian Arts partnered with the Kennett Trails Alliance and Artelo for a public mural painting event during the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Kennett Square. Using a paint-by-number system and hand-mixed colors, participants painted sections inspired by the flora, fauna, and geometric patterns of Eco Mural 20. The mural, once finalized by Hagopian Arts, will be installed in Kennett Square in 2025, further expanding its impact and reach.

Hagopian Arts transforms urban landscapes through art that bridges the worlds of ecology, education, and cultural heritage. Each mural is a portal into the hidden wonders of the natural world. By blending intricate artistry with educational outreach, Hagopian Arts inspires communities to rediscover the beauty and importance of the environment they call home.

Related Projects

Eco Mural 17: Cecropia, Luna, Buckeye

Amidst the rich patchwork of Pennsylvania’s flora and fauna, few inspire more wonder or enchantment than our native butterflies and moths. With their vibrant colors and patterning, delicate forms, and graceful flight, these winged mosaics have captivated our collective imagination for centuries. Moths and butterflies are both members of the order Lepidoptera, a name derived from the Greek terms “lepis,” meaning scale, and “pteron,” meaning wing. In fact, all moths and butterflies are entirely covered in tiny scales! Another defining feature of Lepidopteran species is complete metamorphosis, meaning they undergo distinct life stages, each completely different from one another. Butterflies and moths have a symbiotic relationship with the native flora, meaning a close, long-term interaction, in which each organism is mutually benefited.

Eco Mural 11: John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum

Located in West Philadelphia, John Heinz serves both as a state funded zone of protection for some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable wildlife, and as an educational hub for students and residents across Philadelphia County. John Heinz Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum was founded in 1972 after lobbying by concerned citizens as the last local marsh was threatened by industrial expansion. When settlers arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1600s, a process of draining and filling the marshland to create grazing land for livestock reduced the size of marsh from approximately 5200 acres to just under 350 by the 20th century. John Heinz was founded to protect this last remaining swath of marshland and an additional 1000 acres of woods, meadow, and mud flats that surround it.

Eco Mural 10: Channel-Billed Toucan

Of all the wonderful creatures that inhabit the Amazon rainforest, one of the most distinct and well-known is the toucan. The most vulnerable toucan species is called the Channel-Billed, and Hagopian Arts is excited to shine a light on this lesser-known tropical bird. The Channel-Billed Toucan can be identified by the soft grooves that run down the sides of its iconic beak and its dazzling black, red, and orange plumage. Toucans like this one range from Central America all the way to northern Argentina, with their concentration being highest in the humid lowland forests of Bolivia.

Eco Mural 9: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Through a partnership with Cedar Park Neighbors and University City District, a large-scale version of our butterfly panel from the Eco Mural Project 2: Symbiosis mural was placed in the pedestrian triangle at Cedar Park in West Philadelphia. We are so pleased to have an Eco Mural at ground level for children and residents to interact with and enjoy.

Eco Mural 4: Amphibian

Amphibians are a class of cold-blooded, semi-aquatic creatures that are divided into three orders: Apoda (caecilians, or limbless serpentines), Anura (frogs and toads), and Urodela (salamanders). Amphibians are found on every continent except for Antarctica and feature some of the more bizarre and wonderful adaptations the animal kingdom has to offer. They come in a surprising range of sizes, the smallest measuring at just a third of an inch (A frog from New Guinea called Paedophryne Amanuensis) and the largest at nearly six feet long (The Chinese Giant Salamander, Andrias davidianus).

Eco Mural 3: Arowana

Asian Arowanas are freshwater bony fish that are native to the lakes, slow-moving rivers, forested wetlands and swamps of Southeast Asia. Since the 1970s, Asian Arowanas have caught the attention of aquarists internationally for their captivating scales and brilliant colors. Arowanas have become infamous for being the most expensive fish in the world; however, the economy surrounding their breeding and purchase has failed to benefit their native habitat.

Arowanas are coveted for their brilliant armored scales, which come in a variety of naturally-occurring colors. They are considered primitive fish, with little evolutionary differences noted between modern members of their genus and their ancestors from over 140 million years ago.

Learn More & Get Involved:

National Wildlife Federation

The Lepidopterists' Society

Wildlife Conservation Society

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Bug Life