Gertrude hatched

[lday at iquest.net]

Gertrude, a perfectly humongous regal moth, eclosed today (Aug 5.).  I took 
her back out to where she was found as a caterpillar and left her on one of 
those huge piles of branches with dead leaves that you find when a tree breaks
and falls on the ground.  Hope she makes it.

When female regalis and imperialis come out of the ground, how high do they 
climb up a plant before they stop crawling and start calling?

And since they do this in daylight, aren't they in major danger of being eaten
by a bird while they do it?  I can't picture a big moth like that climbing up
a tree trunk in broad daylight without looking like a banana in a coal scuttle.


Liz Day   
LDAY at iquest.net 
Indianapolis, Indiana, central USA - 40 N latitude, zone 5.
Where regals and imperials presumably are now out.

/