InsectNet forum

Todays offering, a newly hatched female Rothschildia arethusa, resting on the Newton's cradle of cocoons[a

Always beautiful... Wonderful genus.
Well done in raising that healthy batch.

I have to confess to buying these as cocoons. I do like the Rothschildia genus, very nice moths, and the larvas are varied in appearance.
Hopefully I'll be able to breed these.

In looking at your photograph Kevin I right away noticed that there were no leaves incorporated into the making of the cocoons. It is commonplace to see "breeder" type material devoid of any such materials as leaves, small twigs, etc.

In nature, incorporated (building materials) are nearly always present in saturniid cocoons found in nature. At times, they're really quite well done and can easily be mistaken as a mass of furled leaves. Some species which are known to pupate near the ground (such as the Luna moth and Io species) are very nearly impossible to see or find in nature due to the leaf litter debris they incorporate.

I remember O'le Leroy remarking that in all his years of "wild cocoon hunting" in his backwoods and ramparts; that he never found a luna moth cocoon !

I love finding wild cocoons although, it has been a few years since I have found one.

I think a curious thread might be one showing pictures of natural "disguised" cocoons found in nature.

I'm going to work on that thought !

Thank you for your honesty Kevin. By the looks of your purchased stock you were lucky to get a very healthy stock of that moth. Someone did a very good job raising them through.

A friend here, who sometimes I help rear Saturniidae for, told me to strip the leaves from the cocoons once the larva inside has pupated. Apparently it helps prevent death from fungal infection. Also I rear them in chiffon sleeves, and they often form cocoons on the cloth.

Adam.