Polyphemus Moths have been hatching and mating all week. The first one hatched on May 29th, and I think they’ve all emerged now. 19 hatched on one day! 7 females and 12 males. I’ve been busy getting them all mated and collecting eggs for this summer’s caterpillars.
Some of the 19 that hatched on the same day
There’s quite a bit of color variation in the moths. Some are very red-brown.
Antheraea polyphemus
And in some are more yellow-brown.
Antheraea polyphemus
They’re beautiful, soft, huge moths. Even their legs are fuzzy.
Antheraea polyphemus
When they first emerge, their wings are small and crumpled.
It takes about 15 minutes for them to pump up their wings to their normal size.
Antheraea polyphemus
I’ve been seeing other insects, and collecting caterpillars to raise for BugLifeCycles – my other big blog project.
This is a beautiful little moth that I’d never found before. It was fluttering in the tall grasses at the edge of Western Prairie. It’s called a Chickweed Geometer. Its caterpillars eat chickweeds and other small plants.
Haematopis grataria
Haematopsis grataria
This is a Common Ringlet – a small orange butterfly that’s moving south into our part of Wisconsin. I’ve been finding more of them every year. The day I saw this one, I saw 14 – the most I’ve ever seen at one time.
Coenonympha tullia
Here are a few of the cool caterpillars I’ve been finding.
I think this is the caterpillar of a Haploa moth – a beautiful bright white moth with striking brown markings. This caterpillar eats Hazel leaves.
Hairstreak caterpillar – I think. Hairstreak caterpillars secrete a sweet substance from their skin which attracts ants. In return for the sweets, the ants protect the caterpillar from predators. This caterpillar eats oak leaves.
I don’t know what this one is. It looks most like an anglewing caterpillar (Question Mark or Comma), but I found it on White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum), which is not a food plant reported for either of those caterpillars.
I think this is a Linden Looper (Erannis tiliaria). In spite of its name, it eats many different tree leaves. I found this one on oak, but I’ve also seen them on walnut and elm. When startled it holds its head up, legs out (like this picture) and stays that way until things calm down.
A few more nice insects
A male Promethea Moth – hatched from a cocoon that I got from Ian last winter.
A female Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Dragonfly)
Libellula pulchella
A long-horned beetle (Family Cerambycidae)
Mating Craneflies – Tipula sp.
Monarch Butterfly nectaring on Lupine
Danaus plexippus
Here are a few flowers – a break from all the insects. This one is an orchid – Lily-leaved Twayblade.
Liparis lilifolia
And here’s a view of the newest part of Western Prairie. The yellow is Common Hawksbeard (Crepis tectorum), not a native, and the red is Indian Paintbrush (Castelleja coccinea).
There are several raccoons that come up to the house at dusk to clean up under the bird feeders. They don’t seem worried about me at all, but they don’t like each other. They growl and circle each other like angry dogs, but never actually touch. Here’s one looking up at me – completely unconcerned.
Some Tree Swallow eggs in their feathered nest. Tree Swallows line their nests with duck feathers. They had to go a long way to find ducks to get these feathers.
