6/12/2010

"Last Act"


Not long ago (about two weeks ago now), I found a very preggy Polyphemus moth flopping about in the street. I swooped her up & brought her home & she immediately started laying eggs. The next morning she had passed away.

I was so happy to find her, yet somewhat sad she had taken leave so soon, that I made this journal page about her titled "Last Act" - "The last dying act of the female Polyphemus moth. Her short life focused on the continuation of her species as her tattered wings fluttered her out of this world, leaving the eggs of the future behind."

Tonight I checked on the eggs & found that they had hatched!!! I raced my tired ass out the door to grab some oak leaves for them. There are about a dozen or so hatched, a few more haven't hatched quite yet. I can hardly believe my luck! I had hoped that the eggs were fertile but I didn't count on it. What a nice surprise! I love raising these moths because you can render their silk for crafts like spinning much like the Chinese silk moth, only this species silk has a nice earthy tone to it.

Now I have to hope they will all live to be moths, & hope that there will be a mix of both sexes for more eggs. :)

Until next time...


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3 comments:

  1. Hey there - Have you taken pics of the instars? Did they make it to cocoon stage?

    ReplyDelete
  2. They did hatch, but they died soon after they started to feast on the oak leaves. I think it was the pesticide they spray on the trees for the Gypsy Moths that killed them. Grrrrrrr. No wonder they are rare.

    ReplyDelete

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