luna moth help needed

9 years ago

A little over four weeks ago, we found a luna moth caterpillar on our patio (just outside of Asheville, North Carolina in a mountainous region), and presumed a bird had been planning to eat it, but dropped it after hearing us coming. We placed the caterpillar in a jar with some hickory leaves, and only a day or two later, it built itself a cocoon, on one of the little branches we put in there, wrapped in leaves. We kept the jar inside on our kitchen table for a couple of weeks (we keep our house an average of 72 degrees, cooler at night), until I became worried that it wasn't getting enough light and temperature cues from outside, so we moved it out into our mudroom close to a window. The mudroom is not temperature regulated, much like a garage. Just after moving it out into the mudroom, it got quieter, and I had worried that it had died— but now it becomes a little wiggly when pick it up (otherwise it’s quiet and still), and we have since built a larger screened box for it, thinking that it would eclose.

It's been four weeks today since it built its cocoon. Since it hasn't eclosed yet, does this mean it's diapausing? I’ve read that fall cocoons often hatch in the spring, but I’m unclear whether right now is considered fall or late summer, and if it even matters. Could the first couple of weeks in our house have thrown it's rhythms off and it's simply a late bloomer?

Lastly, if it is diapausing, should the cocoon be laying flat on the bottom of the box with some leaves, or is it okay to have it propped up on some sticks? I’ve been told by some to open up the cocoon and bury the pupa in leaves… but that doesn’t seem natural to me. Is that recommended?

I sure would appreciate any advice/guidance you’d be willing to give! I have no idea what I’m doing!

Featured Answer

KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH

9 years ago

Open up the cocoon and bury the pupa in leaves?? SMH Out in nature, it is amongst the leaves on the ground but the cocoon gives it some protection from predators.

In SC, I'm guessing lunas could still get another brood in so there is a chance your luna will eclose this year. If your caterpillar turned a darker color before making its cocoon, that makes it more likely it will overwinter. You should be fine keeping the cocoon inside until outside highs reach the 50s. Then I would move it to whatever outside temp location you are going to use.

Luna pupae tend to be wiggly. Don't read anything into it.

Cocoon does not need any leaves around it. I would not prop it up with sticks since there is a chance the stick will block its exit. Just make sure the moth has some way to climb up. An enclosure with cloth/mesh sides is what I use. If you use a smooth sided enclosure, put in a couple sticks for it to climb. The bottom of the stick should be where the floor/wall meet because the moth usually walks to the wall and then follows the wall.

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Comments (10)

Lisa Rough
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you so much KC Clark... we're actually in North Carolina, not South, and in the mountains... anyhow, the caterpillar did not turn darker before making it's cocoon, so maybe we'll still see an eclosure this year-- although it has been in the 50s and even the mid to upper 40s at night. We'll keep it in the mudroom just in case.

As far as the wiggling goes, I was more concerned about it not being wiggly than wiggly, as hasn't been as active as I've heard they can be or seen in videos. But being the worrier I am, I check on it once a day or so, and it wiggles for me a little bit. So I'm assuming that's good.

One more question... as far as not propping it up on sticks for fear that they might block it from eclosing... it actually built its cocoon right onto a couple of small sticks, so one side of the cocoon is wrapped with a leaf and those two sticks. Do you think this is a problem? I don't want it to have trouble emerging!
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years ago
See? I told you that you would find expert help here! ;-)
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
9 years ago
Don't worry about any stick that it used itself. It knows what it is doing.

Not all are big wigglers. I have a traveling caterpillar show I take into schools. I want the kids to see big wigglers so I annoy a bunch of luna cocoons and take the ones that wiggle the most. Some appear not to wiggle at all but I know from experience that almost all were eventually eclose. My dud rate with lunas is a tad over 1%.
Lisa Rough
Original Author
9 years ago
it's gotten much more wiggly in the last couple of days! I reached out a guy in Canada who is an butterfly/moth expert, and he is suggesting it is not a luna afterall... he thinks it's a polyphemus moth. That might account for a slightly longer time in the cocoon and for the harder material that the cocoon is made of. I've never seen a polyphemus moth!
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
9 years ago
Lots of people confuse lunas and polys. If the cocoon is hard, it is a poly.

I find that luna pupae tend to be more active than poly pupae.

As for how long it stays in the cocoon, polys and lunas pretty much follow the same schedule where I live. YMMV
Lisa Rough
Original Author
9 years ago
It's a boy! He emerged yesterday afternoon. We thought he'd be ready to fly by the time we went to bed, so put him on a tree in our yard, where he stayed all night. I guess he wasn't quite ready. So we brought him back in this morning just before the birds came out, and will try again tonight. Any advice on coaxing him?
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
9 years ago
Usually poly males fly their first night. I'd just put him back out after dark.
colcol
9 years ago
Beautiful ending to an exciting story!
Lisa Rough
Original Author
9 years ago
we had a very successful release last night. he just wasn't ready that first night. i miss him already. :)