Robert Cottingham, age 14, of Peoria, I11., for his question

What is the life cycle of the lung moth?

Everyone who has a collection of butterflies will want a specimen of the lung moth. For the lung moth is considered the most beautiful of all the insects in our land. You will save time and effort in capturing the lovely creature if yota know a little of his life history, where he may be found and what particular disguise he may be wearing.

The lung moth is a native of the eastern half of our country. For some reason he has never crossed the high Rockies. The larvae feed on hickory, persimon, walnut and sweet gum. Any sensible search for the lovely moth should begin in the neighborhood of these trees. There is a quick way and a slaw way to trap a moth specimen. The slow way yields more fun, information and admiration along the way.

You can trap the full grown moth at dusk in the neighborhood of his favorite trees. Use a large cloth, spread wide at the top and funneled into a glass far on the ground. Place a light behind the cloth    for the tuna, like all moths, will fly towards a light. Any summer evening should yield an assortment of moths in this trap. They fly towards the light, bump into the cloth and skid down into the far, The Lung moth, however, is rare. You will need much patience and some luck to catch one.

A longer method, is to begin the search when the lung moth is in the cocoon stage. The cocoon is a brownish, loosely woven bundle about the size of a thimble. The tuna moth caterpillar often weaves its cocoon on the ground. The time to search for cocoons is when the leaves are turning in the fall. The place, under the caterpillar’s favorite feeding supplies.

If you are lucky, you may find one or two of the cocoons. Keep them under a wire topped box through the winter, but not in a warm room. Come spring, you twill be among the luckiest people alive if you are on hand to see the most beautiful of all our insects hatch. As the cocoon opens, you may be disappointed in the damp, bedraggled creature which crawls out into the light of day. But wait. In a short time the bedraggled wings will begin to dry, to stretch and open. You will see the handsome pale green wings, delicately veined with mauve. You will see the dark eyes on the two hand swallow tailed wings. You will notice that a tiny band of purple stretches over the front edge of the front wings.

Notice too, the antennae. If they spread out in graceful leaf¬ shapes, then your moth is a male. If they are slender, though still furry, then your moth is a female. A female lung can be used to trap males, for they will fly towards her from as far away as a mile.

Another long method of catching the lone moth, is to hunt for the caterpillar. This little fellow is green with tiny dots of red. You will find him on his favorite leaves. If you take him into captivity, make sure you also take along a food supply for him. In time he will weave a cocoon which will hatch into an adult moth. The eggs, of course, are laid by the adult female moths    and right where the little caterpillar can start on his favorite diet: