I haven’t blogged for a while, but I’ve been having fun discovering and learning about moths. I added a moth chart (still in process) to my website with some of the moths I’ve seen, many of them in our backyard.
This week, July 23-31, is National Moth Week, and seems like a fitting time to share my latest moth adventure.
I raised my first Polyphemus moth in 2010, and I recently raised three more. I placed one of the females in a mating cage, hoping she would have a visitor. Indeed she did, and this is a photo of them mating.
These are a few of the many eggs she laid the next day.
Ten days later, these tiny caterpillars (about 3/8th of an inch) emerged from the eggs.
I hope to document their growth in future blogs. In the meantime, happy National Moth Week! It’s good to know that many others are celebrating moths throughout the USA and around the world.
Betty, I spent almost the entire day reading out on the deck, enjoying the book,
the heat, the dancing leaves AND my 1st sighting of a promethea (sp?)
moth. It never occurred to me that I had registered your image,
(photo you’d taken some time back) as being of a much larger entity.
Seeing the creature for myself definitely rates as one of the high points
of my summer!
I am delighted that you have been able to foster their increase in your
back yard nursery. 🙂
Beth
Beth, these large moths are usually seen only at night. I’m delighted that seeing one provided an extra special touch to a summer day on your deck.
Wow Betty! Beautiful moth ( and future moths) photos, and how wonderful to read your Backyard Blog once again.
I am really looking forward to viewing more photos of these lovely Polyphemus moths. What a blessing to have many of these delightful creatures visit your backyard.
Thanks for the news about you raising moths. This is so interesting, Betty. I shared it on Facebook.
Adele, Thank you.
Betty, you are amazing 😉