moth question.

[Dave Clermont]

Hi!
The specie is Antheraea polyphemus, Saturnidae
Dave

Pierre Bouillon wrote:

> Hi William,
>
> I checked the pic and although i do not know exactly the specie, i
> think
> i'm not wrong saying it's a Saturnidae (Attacidae), close to the
> Philosamia
> order. Unfortunately i left my whole book library in France so i
> cannot
> tell you much more than the following about it.
> -question 1: in my humble opinion and experience, pupae cannot stand
> an
> actual freeze-out. Living cells (full of water) just explode and the
> chrysalis dies. However in some cases the chitine enveloppe is thick
> enough
> to prevent internal organs from being damaged. I even heard of some
> species
> "needing" the freeze-out to hatch properly...In most cases the
> caterpillar
> looks for a temperate location to pupate or dig a hole in the ground
> to
> burry the cocoon so that it doesn't freeze.
> -question 2: definitely. I experienced it many times, with butterflies
> as
> well as with moths. Chemical mechanisms inside the chrysalis are
> thermally
> activated and the transformation is quicker.
> -question 3, as far as i know (i bred some moths of the same family),
> they
> don't feed so i'm afraid your visitor will soon leave you...:-( . This
>
> should also answers the second part of your Q1: i don't think they
> live
> long enough to be able to migrate.
>
> Hope this helps and please let me know if i was completely wrong!
> Pierre.
>
> --
> ________________
> Pierre Bouillon
> (Milano)
> kroback at rete039.it
>
> William L. Read <readw at medicine.wustl.edu> a écrit dans l'article
> <Pine.GSO.3.96.990115135933.16280B-100000 at medicine>...
> > I have a question regarding a moth.  A pic I found on the web shows
> the
> > adult - check
> > http://biodidac.bio.uottawa.ca/Thumbnails/images/LEPI011P.GIF.
> > A neighbor discovered the giant green caterpillar crawling along an
> a
> very
> > hot August day (in Missouri).  We put it in a jar and it spun a
> cocoon.
> > The adult moth emerged on 12/28/98 - a subfreezing and snowy day.
> It
> > would have died outside, I think.  My questions:
> > 1 - was it supposed to freeze solid and thus overwinter in the
> cocoon?
> Or
> > would it have hatched (eclosed?) earlier and migrated south in the
> fall?
> > 2 - did the fact the cocoon was inside hasten development somehow?
> > 3 - with the adult (alive as of today!) live until warmer weather?
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> >


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