Late in the summer last year, at my dh's work one of his workers found a cecropia moth caterpillar in the bushes there. They're huge caterpillars! Here's a pic!
It didn't ever eat anything after we put it in our butterfly cage, but not too long after it made a cocoon.
After reading we found out that they overwinter as a cocoon and come out sometime in May or June so we left the cage in the garage all winter and moved it and have been watching it in the house. This afternoon one of the kids noticed that the Cecropia Moth had emerged!
We held it some and took some pictures and left it outside so it could fly away when it was ready.
It hadn't flown away by bedtime, but being it's a moth, maybe it would rather fly at night. We actually had 2 of these caterpillars and cocoons so maybe the other one will come out soon! We also found another cocoon during the winter hanging on some plants and put it in there but we don't know what that one is or if it will come out! How exciting to see these amazing transformations!
That would be a wonderful surprise!
Posted by Tinakay on Fri 18 May 2007 at 12:48 - Link
I think that we need to purchase one of those butterfly....er ...um...things. LOL I haven't came across a cocoon or caterpillar since we moved up here ten years ago. That is a very good science lesson also.
Have a blessed week.
Tina Kay
oh Oh OH
Posted by cindy on Sat 19 May 2007 at 06:01 - Link
That is the most beautiful moth I have seen (well other then our Rosy Moth). Where do you live? I have looked and looked in our Moth book and it is not in there (therefore I am not able to capture such a wonderful moth) I have shown the children your pictures and they just loved it. I would like to add them to our Science Notebook so I will have to look up more information about it on the internet. Thank you for sharing this, it is too cool
Our Journey Into The Country - A Faith Walk