I probably will start another thread - had enough luna threads? - once I get settled in with this batch. I've been running around like a chicken with my head off trying to figure out the best way to feed them, making cuttings of sweetgum, first laying the cuttings down for them to feed on, then putting them in water picks and propping them up where the hatchlings can get on them. The pieces of sweetgum that I laid down without water don't look good, they're wilting a bit. Would you believe we're scheduled to have a freeze tonight? It's supposed to get down to exactly 32F degrees in my area! :( I've brought in everything I had on the front porch, chrysalids, cocoons and all, and put them in my guest room. I opened the vent and the door to warm it up since it was previously my UNheated guest room, now that I've got these hatchlings plus one early instar red-spotted purple caterpillar. I don't know what I'm going to do if it gets cold enough to zap all the new growth on the trees outside! Where's global warming when you need it? Sherry

Thank you for the reply! Is there a way to distinguish between a winter cocoon and a summer one? Because if my cats didn't make a winter cocoon it will be dangerous to keep them at 2-5 C. I intend to first put them in a cooler room of my apartment which is not heated and than to store them in a glazed balcony, where the temperatures are really lower (so they have time to adapt) I will make sure the cocoons stay at 35-40 F. (2-5 C) and not expose them to direct sunlight. I will put all the cocoons on the bottom of a big plastic box /airtight/, covered with paper towel. If they become too dry I'll mist it slightly. Hope these conditions are OK. Should I do something else? Since I am a beginner, your experience and advice is really useful for me. Should I know something else about overwintering? Here is what I found on the net: http://www3.islandtelecom.com/~oehlkew/zpupae.htm Thank you very much! Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering Cocoons and Pupae

Sherry, the Polyphemus spins a white cocoon. Unlike the Luna, the Poly cocoon is quite dense. They spin a LOT of silk! Their cocoons look like tiny surgical casts. In fact, it is because of this, that the Poly's first cousin, native to China, Antheraea pernyi, was and may still be used for silk, just as the Bombyx is. The Cynthia moth is also used for silk. At one time, Cynthias were common in NE US, but have largely died off, chiefly due to habitat loss as well as parasitoids such as the tachinid fly. Susanlynne, one sureshot way to tell male from female Luna, at a glance, is color. The females are that characteristic green, while males are yellow-green. I could tell from my upstairs bedroom window, the Luna I saw, resting on a young hickory, was most definitely a male. No way could I see its body size or antennae. I hope this helps.

i am so glad i found this forum! my family has also taken on a "pet" horn worm and basically rescued it from being squashed from grandpa. my 4 year old loves it and we've been feeding it tomatoes and leaves daily. this morning we woke up and basically thought it was dying- it was not looking good and we thought maybe the cat got to it (still a possibility?) anyway, thanks to wikipedia i was happy to learn about the pre-pupua stage and i think that's where it is. he is currently in a plastic food storage container and i learned that they molt in dirt. just added some dirt. any suggestions? i'm a little confused about the fridge thing? we live in san diego and i was hoping just to release the moth whenever it's ready (when will it be ready?) do i need to continue to feed it? it's not eating right now. thanks in advanced for any help. this is my first worm/caterpillar and a little clueless but thrilled to know i'm not the only one caring for something that most people view as "pests."