Way back in February, February 15th to be exact, I found a cocoon. I had no idea what kind of cocoon it was and posted it as a
Mystery Object. Several bloggers suggested that it was a Cecropia moth cocoon, and when I looked at my field guides, I agreed. I put it into a box with a screen front in the unheated barn and have been watching it almost every day since then. When the weather warmed up this spring, I put it outside the barn most days to warm up with the weather. I was thinking, just this week, that maybe it was time to throw it out and put in some new caterpillars and food plants to try to raise some other butterfly or moth as there had been no change since February.
Surprise! When I got home from my long run this morning, Églantine told me to grab my camera and follow her. She led me to the box with the newly emerged Polyphemus moth. I managed a few photos but Églantine took many, many more and it is from her collection that I chose these three photos to share. This first one I have changed a bit by blurring and greying the background to make the moth stand out a bit more.
This second photo shows the underwings.
This last photo is a close up to show some of the many beautiful colours on the moth and its hairy body.
4 comments:
Wonderful! Just delightful that the mystery thing hatched out into such a lovely moth!
What a gorgeous moth! How fantastic that such an amazing beauty emerged from the cocoon. Wow.
Beautiful moth! Great to hear that it successfully emerged and wonderful to see that you got photos of it as well.
Thanks to all for visiting our moth. We felt very privileged not only have the moth hatch out after so many months but to be there in time to see it before it was damaged. (I forgot to check the box on that day.) The moth stayed on the box for the day and left during the night to look for a mate I presume as they do not eat according to the books I have read.
Post a Comment