gHarmony dot com -- another happy couple brought to you by Garden Web!

Hehehe!
Congratulations, Sandy! Keep us posted about eggs, caterpillars, etc.!
Sherry

gHarmony dot com -- :D I really liked that

Congratulations Sandy! You're a grandma! KC have your first generation Cecropia come out yet? We have had a few come out and a polyphemus.
-Elisabeth

I seem to have a problem here. My male and female have separated early--don't seem to like each other. Arghhhh! Any experience with this phenomenom? I still have them in the container, and don't plan to let them go for at least another night. Hoping they will come back together. The female isn't laying eggs either. So . . . Maybe a more compatible male will arrive, hopefully.

Sandy - I would not worry. They don't have to be hooked up for a long period.

Elisabeth - I had a poly come out last month but it spent the winter inside (stowaway). Everyone else is still in their cocoons. They're wiggling so I'm not worried. I went down to West Jefferson Friday night/Saturday morning. Caught 2 polys and one luna (all males) so wild ones are out up here.

KC

KC, I did get some eggs finally from a female. I think what happened is that a wild male drug a female to the enclosure where my female was. I found them on the outside of the enclosure. I put the wild pair in the enclosure, and let my female go--not thinking through the situation. Then they separated. One job done, ready for the other one. Oh, where did she go?

KC how did you catch the wild ones? Do they get attracted to lights?
-Elisabeth

It is the famous West Jefferson McDonalds:
Bright lights next to state woods/forest.

I think my son and I went 5 times last year. This past weekend was the first time I've gone this year. So far, we have been the only people there each time which has really surprised me. I like being the only one there since that makes it easy for my kids to catch what we see since there is no competition. The only moth we ever brought home was a female luna last year. My son wanted to bring home a big poplar sphinx he caught but I pointed out we did not have a hostplant for the cats.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bright lights, big moths

Very interesting link, KC. I released my female yesterday. I moved her to the buttonbush, where she laid some more eggs.

Sandy

Interesting link, KC! If I'm out at night, I'll check the golden arches!
Sherry

Ah yes, is that were they saw the black witch?
-E

That is the place.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Witch in Ohio

I remember that posting! Wish we had a place like that around here.

My moths are finally coming out. Had three polys eclose at my daughters school this week (lots of excited 1st graders - they let one go yesterday and when the kids saw me, they had to tell me all about it). Woke up this morning to find a female cecropia in one of my aquariums. Just took a quick look at her and saw a fresh male still pumping up his wings.

KC

Ended up with 1 female and 5 male cecropias today. Lady is outside now calling for a wild friend.

Good Luck! I'm going to be out of country this coming week, so I took my eggs and fastened them to the Buttonbush. Hope they don't get eaten by all the birds before I get back. I think I'll go out and add a sleeve tomorrow--just in case.

Today was poly day. Had 13 polyphemus eclose, 10 boys and 3 girls.

Had a naturalist come over today to see my setup. He took a bunch of pics of a couple female cecropias I have but I did not have any polys. I gotta email him that he should have come over a few hours later.

That's exciting, KC. It always seems something happens just after the visitors leave! I don't find healthy Polys here.

I've got a question for you. I just got back in town last night and checked my cecropia eggs. None have hatched yet. I can't remember how long it takes. I was sort of expecting them to have hatched--it's been about 10 or so days. This is the female that parted company with the male rather abruptly. She didn't lay a whole bunch of eggs, but I did get some. I put the piece of paper sack with the eggs on the buttonbush before I left--just in case.

Sandy

Sandy,

Using this thread for a time line, the cats should be out by today, tomorrow at the latest. Since you left them outside, I'm wondering if they already hatched and the cats disappeared. Remember that cecropia cats do NOT eat their eggshells, in case you are using the eggshells' presence as the reason to think the eggs did not hatch. Give the eggs a good look for exit holes. Unfertilized cecropia eggs sorta deflate slightly on top from the shape they had when laid.

KC

Thanks, KC. I remembered that they didn't eat the eggs, so I looked for exit holes. Didn't find any. But I'll keep watching. I just hope the eggs were fertile. So far, they look like plump little donuts--not deflated. The weather was cooler while we were gone, so maybe that has had an effect.

Sandy

Any updates, Sandy? I figured no news is bad news but I've been hoping you had success.

Hi KC,

When I saw this had come up again, I knew someone was wondering about the cecropias. I did not get any caterpillars. None of the eggs appeared to be fertile.

Sadly,

Sandy

Figured I'd post here since it includes the links for the West Jefferson, Ohio McDonalds.

Went there tonight hoping for a female imperial. As soon as my car door opened, I saw the shadow of a big moth. Grabbed my net and in less than 60 seconds, I had my female imperial. Hopefully she has already mated but I have her outside in my birdcage just in case she is still calling.

Also caught a male IO, male regal, female dobsonfly (one of the ugliest big bugs you will ever see), and a bunch of katydids. Spent only 1.5 hours there since my son has a doctor's appointment in the morning (just a checkup).

KC