Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Unidentified Garden Lepidoptera

We found this moth cocoon in one of our garden beds this weekend. If you've ever found one you know how fun it is to pick it up and feel it wiggle in your hands! I admit to cutting a cocoon open a long time ago, with Steve, to figure out what was inside (won't ever do this again!) and found it filled with creamy liquid. Think about this: Egg - Caterpillar - cocoon filled with creamy liquid - rearrangement of self and voila a moth! WOW. We are still amazed by this transformation.


While setting up the drip watering system we also disturbed this beautiful moth. She fluttered and fluttered her wings to warm up and get away from us so we did not get a better picture, but you can see her beautiful markings. A super great moth book to check out if you are interested is Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard by John Himmelman. I am on my second read.

2 comments:

  1. the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is simply magical! are there any other creatures who go through anything similar?

    still waiting to see a pic of that black widow:)

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  2. besides caterpillar to moth, i am not sure lo. i would imagine so, but cannot think of any examples right now. our black widow friend has not posed for us yet. i promise to post when she does!

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