Newbie: looking for info on life cycle times

[Pedz]

Hi,

I’m a total newbie. I’m a retired programmer turned photographer. I have this fellow (see video) in my house and I’m hoping I can keep him happy until he turns into a pupa and then turns into a moth but I’m wondering about the timing. I want to do a time lapse. What would be great is to capture a time lapse of it turning into a pupa as well as when the moth comes out. But if I knew the timing it would help me prepare.

I’m hoping folks here can help me out. I’m in Austin, TX. I believe this is a Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar.

https://youtu.be/xdmj1M4XbNU?si=usvaETR8_czAGvfE

[livingplanet3]

I'm not certain of which species of tiger moth caterpillar you have, but if it's a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia), here's a page giving the life cycle / time frames -

https://www.prairiehaven.com/?page_id=29859

If it's a Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea) -

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/ve ... pillar.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estigmene_acrea

Incidentally, E. acrea has been especially abundant in North TX this spring; much more so than I have seen in many years.

[Pedz]

I'm not certain of which species of tiger moth caterpillar you have, but if it's a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia), here's a page giving the life cycle / time frames -

https://www.prairiehaven.com/?page_id=29859

If it's a Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea) -

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/ve ... pillar.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estigmene_acrea

Incidentally, E. acrea has been especially abundant in North TX this spring; much more so than I have seen in many years.

Hmm… two factors: I would say that it’s the Salt Marsh Moth because I too have seen these guys everywhere this year. It started at the eclipse. I have another in my yard that I’m watching. And also the images of the mature adult look like what I have.

Thank you for your time and help.

[livingplanet3]

Hmm… two factors: I would say that it’s the Salt Marsh Moth because I too have seen these guys everywhere this year. It started at the eclipse. I have another in my yard that I’m watching. And also the images of the mature adult look like what I have.

Thank you for your time and help.

You can readily distinguish the caterpillars of H. scribona from E. acrea by the fact that only H. scribona has red bands between the abdominal segments, which are especially apparent when the caterpillar defensively rolls into a ball -



Also, the caterpillars of E. acrea are lighter in color, with the bristles along the sides of the body being shades of brown instead of black -

[evra]

It depends on both the species and where you live. A lot of the tiger moths are univoltine (1 brood per year), but not all, and their life cycle is weird. They may go all the way through from egg -> larva -> pupa, but many species actually overwinter as larvae, sometimes very young ones or sometimes full grown ones. Then in the spring they start eating again. Keeping them alive during the hibernation makes them a tough group to rear. Most of the ones I've successfully reared I got as final instar larvae out in the wild.

You would probably be better to start off with silkmoths (Saturniidae) that are not in the Ceratocampinae subfamily (because they burrow into the soil and pupate rather than spin cocoons, and you can't really film the pupation or emergence).

[evra]

Also, the pupation of an Arctiid is kind of boring and takes a long time. Once they find a pupation site and spin a cocoon, they curl up into a fetal position and shed the long guard hairs of the larvae, so they look short, fat and covered in stubble, and then after about 2-3 days the skin splits open and out comes the pupa. The whole thing is a 3-4 day long process, which is probably too long for time lapse. Watching a larva construct a cocoon is much faster and more interesting.