Egg Laying.
I took another photo of the mating moths this afternoon,
then, when I checked on them again this evening found them detached, but still close together on the same cocoon. Unable to decide which was male and which was female, I pulled them gently away from the cocoon and placed them on some newspaper in their own private place.
Now the female moth is supposed to be larger than the male, but the smaller one seeemed to have the fatter more feminine body.
'I think the big one is the female,' I said to Hodmandod Senior, 'but it's difficult to tell, isn't it?'
'Well I think it's the other one,' he said, 'because she's the one laying the eggs.'
And so she was, one after the next, tiny pale yellow thing the size of pin heads, conveniently on the black print of the newspaper.
I have left her in peace to finish her work - by the time she finishes there may be close to 400 of them. Getting them to hatch sounds like it might be the most difficult task of all.
then, when I checked on them again this evening found them detached, but still close together on the same cocoon. Unable to decide which was male and which was female, I pulled them gently away from the cocoon and placed them on some newspaper in their own private place.
Now the female moth is supposed to be larger than the male, but the smaller one seeemed to have the fatter more feminine body.
'I think the big one is the female,' I said to Hodmandod Senior, 'but it's difficult to tell, isn't it?'
'Well I think it's the other one,' he said, 'because she's the one laying the eggs.'
And so she was, one after the next, tiny pale yellow thing the size of pin heads, conveniently on the black print of the newspaper.
I have left her in peace to finish her work - by the time she finishes there may be close to 400 of them. Getting them to hatch sounds like it might be the most difficult task of all.
Labels: egg laying., mating, moth eggs
posted by Clare Dudman at 11:19 pm
3 Comments:
Incredible! Have to share this, it landed on the deck a few months ago late at night. Gorgeous!
http://twitpic.com/he4j
Native NZ something. Will have to look it up. :)
From worms, to moths, to eggs: it makes our life cycle seem so loooong!
Another major success in the Hodmandod household :) Fair play to your hub for recognition. That's like something that would happen here, I tend not to see the wood for the trees half the time.
That is a spectacular, green moth, Sarah! I am most impressed. It makes my silk moths look quite dull in comparison!
Yes, Barbara, exactly. I couldn't believe I didn't notice the eggs until he pointed them out. I was very excited.
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to moderation.
<< Home