Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2022 20:48:41 GMT -5
This one as well. A lot bigger- 2 inches or so. Like the blue accents it has.  I love the pattern and colors of this guy! And the other one is so fuzzy it’s cute! |
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fasteddie
starting to shine!
Member since April 2022
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Post by fasteddie on May 15, 2022 23:47:57 GMT -5
As title says...cool fluffy moth....  Beautiful.  |
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by oldschoolrocker on May 20, 2022 10:09:57 GMT -5
So a bit of an update...the large polyphemus moth that was hanging out with me before she died ended up laying eggs on the windowsill inside my office at work. So I scooped them up and waited to see if any would hatch.. several did and so now I'm currently raising the caterpillars in my office at work lol. They are getting quite big and should be making their cocoons pretty soon...here's a Pic of a few of the caterpillars -  |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on May 20, 2022 10:20:26 GMT -5
How many hatched, total? That is so cool. Please post pics of the different life stages as they happen if you don't mind.  |
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on May 20, 2022 10:33:39 GMT -5
How many hatched, total? That is so cool. Please post pics of the different life stages as they happen if you don't mind. 10 total hatched but only 7 have survived. All but one are in their 5th instar stage. The runt of the litter is a bit behind in 3rd or 4th instar. Il for sure snap some more pics along the way and update the thread! |
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Post by liveoak on May 30, 2022 6:52:37 GMT -5
I got wondering how the polyphemus moth caterpillar farm is going Michael oldschoolrocker ?? Any updates :-) Patty |
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on May 30, 2022 9:38:26 GMT -5
Hey liveoak, as for updates, two have spun cocoons and should have 3 or 4 more make their cocoons very soon. I will have to update with pics later when at work but the caterpillars are quite big. Here is pic from other day of one in my hand as reference.  I will update with some pics later today. |
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Post by liveoak on May 30, 2022 9:42:07 GMT -5
Excellent , glad they are doing well.
Obviously they like oak leaves.
So on the good side, at least they are not picky like monarchs.
Look forward to photos
Thanks,
Patty
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LazerFlash
Cave Dweller 
The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the toilet.
Member since September 2021
Posts: 550
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Post by LazerFlash on May 30, 2022 17:34:32 GMT -5
So on the good side, at least they are not picky like monarchs. LOL That's because the Monarchs are smart - milkweed is toxic to most of the predators that would go after their caterpillars.
Sadly, with ever-shrinking milkweed areas, it is kinda dumb, too. |
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on May 31, 2022 7:56:25 GMT -5
Excellent , glad they are doing well. Obviously they like oak leaves. So on the good side, at least they are not picky like monarchs. Look forward to photos Thanks, Patty Yes they are much less picky. They will eat a variety of different tree leaves like oak. Birch, willow and others but like to stick to whatever they start eating on first. Daughter and I have raised many monarchs and keeping enough milkweed for the caterpillars was always a problem. |
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on May 31, 2022 8:04:10 GMT -5
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Post by liveoak on May 31, 2022 9:09:14 GMT -5
Thanks Michael, oldschoolrocker, very cool. My sister is a 1st grade school teacher in MA & every year at the beginning of the school year she brings monarchs caterpillars into the classroom so the kids can watch them make their cocoons, and transform into butterfly's & then release them. She's had a hard time the last couple of years finding milkweed to bring in with them, so she started raising milkweed herself. Nice your helping them out. Thanks for the update, Patty |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on May 31, 2022 9:22:06 GMT -5
This is so interesting to see, oldschoolrocker. Thanks for posting all the pictures. Ma Nature never ceases to amaze me.  |
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on May 31, 2022 9:50:52 GMT -5
Thanks Michael, oldschoolrocker, very cool. My sister is a 1st grade school teacher in MA & every year at the beginning of the school year she brings monarchs caterpillars into the classroom so the kids can watch them make their cocoons, and transform into butterfly's & then release them. She's had a hard time the last couple of years finding milkweed to bring in with them, so she started raising milkweed herself. Nice your helping them out. Thanks for the update, Patty Glad to help! Yeah, my daughter and I have raised monarchs, painted lady and sagebrush swallowtail butterflies, as well as several dragonflies. All but the painted ladies were started from finding the caterpillars in the wild. So far the easiest has definitely been these moth caterpillars. |
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Post by liveoak on May 31, 2022 10:11:05 GMT -5
Tell me more about the dragonflies, oldschoolrockerThe larvae are quite carnivorous, I understand, so what did you feed them ?? The best we've done is raising frogs, and they take came of themselves in our outdoor pools. Several kinds of tree frogs, and bronze frogs. We actively care for one - a green tree frog in our Paludarium. Of course then there's the newts, lurking below the water - but that's definitely another story.
Patty |
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LazerFlash
Cave Dweller
The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the toilet.
Member since September 2021
Posts: 550
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Post by LazerFlash on Jun 1, 2022 16:30:12 GMT -5
Yes they are much less picky. They will eat a variety of different tree leaves like oak. Birch, willow and others but like to stick to whatever they start eating on first. Daughter and I have raised many monarchs and keeping enough milkweed for the caterpillars was always a problem. My sister is a 1st grade school teacher in MA & every year at the beginning of the school year she brings monarchs caterpillars into the classroom so the kids can watch them make their cocoons, and transform into butterfly's & then release them. She's had a hard time the last couple of years finding milkweed to bring in with them, so she started raising milkweed herself. My wife and I have had good - and bad - efforts in our attempts to get more milkweed in our local environment.
We've managed to get an area in our community's common ground left alone to allow the milkweed there to propagate.  OTOH, all of the milkweed that we had managed to get to grow in a lot next door to us was sacrificed when the owner sold the lot to someone who had managed to actually squeeze a house in a lot that just about everyone had thought was unbuildable. 
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Post by liveoak on Jun 2, 2022 6:11:52 GMT -5
You can get free milkweed seeds here. I read about it awhile ago, they supposedly send you seeds for your area.
So maybe you can try again in your yard.
Patty
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jun 2, 2022 21:30:28 GMT -5
Tell me more about the dragonflies, oldschoolrockerThe larvae are quite carnivorous, I understand, so what did you feed them ?? The best we've done is raising frogs, and they take came of themselves in our outdoor pools. Several kinds of tree frogs, and bronze frogs. We actively care for one - a green tree frog in our Paludarium. Of course then there's the newts, lurking below the water - but that's definitely another story.
Patty That's so cool about the tree frogs! As for raising the dragonflies- yes they are quite carnivorous with an insane appetite! They are aquatic the entire nymph stage. They ate pretty much anything we put In the tank but primarily tadpoles and each other lol. They were quite a hassle to keep fed enough to where they didn't eat each other. The worst part of raising them was not knowing when they were ready to turn to adults. When ready they climb out of the water and molt one last time and emerge as adult dragonflies. And they do it quite fast so we missed seeing the first several ones that made it to adulthood. So made a screen enclosure to cover the tank with and were able to see several make it to an adult. They all ended up being very large bright green dragonflies. Was fun to do once but wouldn't do again I don't think. |
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oldschoolrocker
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jun 2, 2022 21:34:37 GMT -5
Speaking of tree frogs liveoak, I found this Grey tree frog at work the other day  |
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Post by liveoak on Jun 3, 2022 6:20:49 GMT -5
Bet it was cool to watch them emerge.
That is a handsome frog
I'd guess a Cope's Gray Tree Frog.
Never seen one here, although by all accounts we should.
That's one thing we enjoy about living in the south, lots of cool creatures to watch.
We live in a stilt house up in the trees, so have lots of frogs and lizards on our decks.
Here's one for you, a barking tree frog , they are pretty big and fat for a tree frog & kind of bumpy skin :
Patty
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OTOH, all of the milkweed that we had managed to get to grow in a lot next door to us was sacrificed when the owner sold the lot to someone who had managed to actually squeeze a house in a lot that just about everyone had thought was unbuildable. 
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