Luna Moth NON-MACHINEABLE Forever Stamp 2025
The U.S. Postal Service highlights the delicate beauty of the luna moth with a new non-machineable stamp designed for uniquely shaped mailpieces, including square envelopes, invitations, greeting cards, and special announcements that require additional handling.
The stamp artwork presents a detailed image of a pale green luna moth created through an advanced scanning technique rather than traditional photography. Using a high-resolution scanner with extended depth-of-field capabilities, the artist captured the preserved moth at multiple focus levels. Up to 32 individual scans were taken at carefully selected depths above the scanner surface, allowing every part of the insect to appear with exceptional clarity. These separate layers were then combined into a single image, producing a highly detailed and lifelike final composition.
Known for their striking appearance, luna moths (*Actias luna*) are among the most admired moth species in North America. Their soft green coloring, impressive size, and distinctive wing patterns make them especially recognizable. Also called American moon moths, they received their name from Luna, the Roman goddess of the Moon, because of the moon-like eyespots found on each of their four wings.
Luna moths inhabit hardwood forests throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada, with their range extending westward into areas such as eastern Texas and North Dakota. Their brief adult lives and graceful appearance have made them a symbol of natural beauty and transformation.
The Luna Moth stamp is issued in panes of 20. The words ??NON-MACHINEABLE SURCHARGE?? printed on the stamp identify its special usage value for mail requiring additional processing. Like a Forever? stamp, it remains valid for the designated rate shown on the stamp.
Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp using an existing image created by Joseph Scheer.
