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Butterfly Garden

Luna Emergence Videos

16 years ago

While I was on the front porch today, I heard a noise coming from one of the reptarian cages - it was a luna moth scratching out of its cocoon. I made two videos of it. The first one is unfortunately a bit blurry, but it shows the luna (with sound) as it was scratching its way out. The second video shows the actual emergence of the male moth - unfortunately, my camera quit before it was totally out, but all went well, and he's now hanging out in the cage. I'll be releasing him tonight - hope he finds a girl! :)

Just click on the videos to watch and hear them -

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Sherry

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Comments (9)

caterwallin
16 years ago
Neat videos, Miss Sherry! Boy, it sure does make a lot of noise scratching on the cocoon, huh! I also enjoyed listening to your Great-crested Flycatcher in the first video and the cardinal in the second one. You sure do have a lot of nature there at your place! :) I think you're so lucky to get to raise Luna moths. Woo hoo!
Cathy
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MissSherry
Original Author
16 years ago
Yes, the sounds of the birds are wonderful this time of year, Cathy! My favorite is the wood thrushes - their song sounds like a flute.
I opened the cage before we turned off all the outside lights around 9:00 last night, and he was already gone when I checked about 30 minutes later - he was another beauty!
Sherry
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Lunas do not have mouth parts. They use little horns near the base of the forewings to tear at the silk. Polyphemus does it too. Cecropia does not since it leaves itself a valve in the cocoon for escape. I guess I'll go into the "rest of the story." I was told about a woman that raised lunas and I was hoping to get some from her. I went to her house and saw her setup. She had paper towels in all of her enclosures. Many of the cocoons were made on the paper towels. The successful eclosures had come out the sides of the cocoons, away from the towel underneath. She said she just had three cocoons left and that I could have them. I took them home and cut them open. All three had moths that had emerged from their chrysalis but could not get through the cocoon/paper towel. When I raised lunas, I never used paper towels. Many of my lunas did not even make cocoons because their siblings ate the leaves that were being woven into the cocoons. When the cats gave up trying to make a cocoon, I'd put them in smooth bottom containers where they would pupate. Made for extremely easy sexing of the pupas since I did not have to contend with a cocoon.
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aggscott
16 years ago
Miss Sherry that is the coolest thing I have seen! At least I know now what to listen for when they do hatch. I still have all my Cocoons..they are a rockin and rollin though..Even the Cecropia are moving around a bit..

Bill emailed me the other day and told me the eggs should be ready any day now so I'll be getting eggs real soon..

I have four Luna Caterpillars right now that are eating Birch and they are just the cutest thing I have ever seen..

I'll post when my Cocoons hatch..

Aggie
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kwoods
16 years ago
Cool video!

"their song sounds like a flute. "..... underwater. My wood thrush friends haven't "passed through" yet this year.
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MissSherry
Original Author
16 years ago
I guess their song does have an underwater sound to it, Ken. The wood thrushes nest here every year. This year it appears they're nesting closer to the house than they ever have - I keep seeing them going to and from an area to the east of the garage (detached) and whenever the dogs go into that area, they fuss. I'd love to get a picture of them, and/or see the nest, but one year I tried making a picture of their newly constructed nest, and they abandoned it! :( So, I won't get too close to them - they really seem to love their privacy!
Sherry
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aggscott
16 years ago
Miss Sherry,

I wanted to ask you last time when I posted above but I forgot...do your Luna's hatch out at a certain time of day?
I could have sworn I read that they hatch out about 10-11 AM-is that true?

Aggie
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MissSherry
Original Author
16 years ago
No, Aggie, my lunas all emerged between about 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon - only my prometheas emerged in the morning.
Sherry
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aggscott
16 years ago
Thanks for that! I have to keep on looking at the cage then..after about 12 I give up looking..I'm glad I asked!

Aggie
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MissSherry
Original Author
16 years ago
I guess I lied, Aggie - promethea moths aren't the only ones that will emerge in the morning. I found a newly emerged polyphemus moth in the moth cage this morning about ?8:30! She appears to be a female, what with her huge body and practically no antennae. I'll be very interested to see if she gets a fella tonight!
Sherry
0

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