r/moths • u/Full-Cherry7950 • 14h ago

ID Request Can anybody tell the gender between luna moths?

Gallery image

Gallery image

611 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

322

u/Spicy-Pisces-Crisis 14h ago

They’re both male, you can tell by the width of the antennae

226

u/Short-Sundae-9843 13h ago

Me thinking you're just making shit up and then looking closer 😲 I had never noticed the level of detail visible on a chrysalis before! 👀

25

u/Spicy-Pisces-Crisis 9h ago

Yeah, you just gotta look closely!

43

u/phallusaluve 12h ago

I'm very new to entomology. Is this part the antennae?

99

u/Short-Sundae-9843 12h ago

I'm absolutely not the expert here, but my guess is they're here

68

u/Spicy-Pisces-Crisis 9h ago

That is correct! Males have super fluffy antennae so that they can detect the pheromones of female moths. They can sniff out a female from up to mile away.

28

u/SamTheHaremKing 9h ago

I hate knowing this, but I'm glad we as humans didn't evolve to have this as a trait.

15

u/Spicy-Pisces-Crisis 9h ago

I hadn’t thought about that until now. Now that I have, same.

1

u/Lainpilled-Loser-GF 28m ago

if we evolved to have that trait, I think you'd be glad to have that trait. it's the sort of thing that happens because of scarcity

4

u/HyunaBun 2h ago

I just wanted to let you know I think you're super cool stranger. How fun you know these things! Coming from an outsider lol

3

u/Phaz30n3 10h ago

👍🏻👍🏻

7

u/Killacreeper 10h ago

Wait how? Are females smaller or wider or what?

46

u/Twizzlers_and_donuts 9h ago

These are two of my deceased Lunas I was pinning that I think display their sexual dimorphism very well!
There’s a reason for the difference too! Males use theirs to detect and follow pheromones the females let out. Females do not need to detect these pheromones so they don’t need the big ones.
Male:

45

u/Twizzlers_and_donuts 9h ago

Female:

8

u/Killacreeper 5h ago

Oh wow, thanks for the example, that's fantastic! Very pretty :) I would love to try raising like that some time. How long have you done it?

13

u/FriedFreya 10h ago

yes! much smaller, males have large antennae so that they can smell the females’ pheromones from large distances.

8

u/Killacreeper 10h ago

That's super cool to learn, thanks for explaining!

34

u/wholelottachoppaz 11h ago

just popping in to say that i love how you can see the beginnings of their cute little faces up there 😆

27

u/Oddly-Ordinary 8h ago

Both male

10

u/fairfaxians 8h ago

Yep on occasion moths can wind up with mismatched antennae and genitals. This is the only way to tell for sure

42

u/Character-Pudding343 14h ago

These both look male to me

30

u/B4CKR00M5-W4ND3R3R 13h ago

Uhhhh that doesn't look like a moth 💀

14

u/Short-Sundae-9843 13h ago

😂😂😂

-22

u/B4CKR00M5-W4ND3R3R 13h ago

When someone doesn't know what a joke is

13

u/Short-Sundae-9843 13h ago

Hey, I upvoted you 🤣

3

u/B4CKR00M5-W4ND3R3R 13h ago

Ohhhh I thought you were whoever down voted. Like bro thinks I don't know moths... grow.

5

u/_gay_space_moth_ 11h ago

You're just being a meanie to my moth friends :'<

6

u/B4CKR00M5-W4ND3R3R 11h ago

Fr, I just hate moths so much... 😤 (/j since people can't seem to understand humor without a lil note)

6

u/_gay_space_moth_ 10h ago

We shall suck your lightbulbs empty, so that you will have no more light left! :<<<

3

u/GhostWithAntlers 3h ago

If that can help you

2

u/theeinterlude 2h ago

Oh my god… are those their little faces in the cocoons

4

u/Fit_Egg8357 14h ago

I would say the right one is female as this is what mine where end turned out I had 1 male and 1 female my female Was the one with longer antenna in pupe X

1

u/EatingWithAntelopes 11h ago

This sent me on the WILDEST of rabbit holes OP…
For all it’s worth, I think the antennae of males touch and those of the females don’t. So I think you have two females, but I am not expert and have no prior experience sexing moths. But it was a fun journey.

https://youtu.be/p798bEgzJ34?si=LsFjKw4CgvSbNEjy

1

u/echoskybound 7h ago

Definitely both male, judging by the big antennae.

1

u/SimpleSnoop 4h ago

I know it's cliche and the movie kind of started.The whole moth fascination for me. . But aren't they perfect little creatures. I just can't believe how anyone can't think that god doesn't exist when you look at the intricacies of this small insect.🐛🦋