The house has fallen but nobody was at home.....?

  My treks around the hillside and down to the creek often lead to some interesting finds.  I find things that most others step on or step over without ever seeing.  Of course, this could possibly be accredited to the fact that I hike the same area most every day and notice anything that seems a tad different or out of place.  My latest find is a cocoon.  Albeit an empty cocoon, I still find it interesting and perhaps a bit perplexing.  My interest was piqued with the question of what lepidoptera squirmed its way from the cocoon...perplexing only because I wondered if the caterpillar had survived.  I had a mystery on my hands!  My hunch was that this silken bag once housed the large Polyphemus Moth but I was not certain so the empty case was pocketed and toted to the house.

  After doing a bit of research, my original hunch proved to be true.  Some time during the summer, a nice, plump caterpillar decided it was time to sleep for a while.  During that time, a great transformation took place.  Once the moth had matured, it pushed its way through the wall of the cocoon.  It crawled out and hung unfolding its wings and letting them dry.  Off and away the Polyphemus Moth (with its six inch wingspan) went in search of a mate so that the process could begin again.  The whole existence of the Polyphemus in the adult stage is spent reproducing.  They do not feed so are therefore short lived.

  During their stay in the cocoon, the caterpillars are often attacked by squirrels and woodpeckers.  If the cocoon falls to the ground, it becomes easy prey for mice.  This limits the number that are hatched to maturity but what saddens me most is human intervention.  With sprays meant to protect crops, the Polyphemus caterpillars (along with many other moths, butterflies and many beneficial insects) are killed in mass quantities.  This is just one more reason to avoid spraying your garden with nasty stuff!

  The Polyphemus Moth is a grand specimen that graces the woods and gardens around the Bayou.  My pondering the survival of the caterpillar could be answered at least to the point of when it left the silken bag. The exit hole in the top led me to believe that the moth climbed out on its own terms.  A small hole in the side would have pointed to a woodpecker attack whereas the squirrel or mouse would have gnawed at the whole thing!  Go, Polyphemus!  You did well!

Cyclops Comes to the Bayou!

In Greek mythology, particularly in Homer's "Odyssey" , who we normally think of as "Cyclops" or the one-eyed giant of a man was actually named Polyphemus. He was the son of Poseidon and Thoomas and lived on the island of Cyclopes..hence the name "Cyclops". The tale goes that Odysseus and his men were exploring the island and became trapped by Polyphemus. The one-eyed giant would devour two of the men each morning and then another two in the evening. Odysseus and his men came up with a plan to escape. They sharpened a huge stick to a point and then heat it to temper it. When Polyphemus returns to the cave where they are trapped, Odysseus gives him wine. In return, the Cyclops says he will eat him last if Odysseus tells him his name. Odysseus replies with "Nobody" and Polyphemus believes him. After falling down drunk, Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemus with the sharpened stick. He calls out for help but claims that "Nobody is hurting him" so none of the other islanders come to his aid. This is a sad story in a way but then again old Cyclops had it coming since he dined upon the explorers.

Now to the point! Cyclops visited the Bayou! Not really a giant of a man...a giant of a moth came to visit! One Anthera Polyphemus Moth, to be exact, came flitting across the yard while I was out with the dogs! I was sitting in my favorite chair watching the dogs romp when a dark shadow passed over my head. Thinking a large bird was soaring high in the sky, I looked up. There not a few feet above me was a beautiful, tan moth! This thing was huge!!!! I watched as it flitted overhead and landed on the Mimosa tree. I hustled the doggies back inside and grabbed the camera! I had to get a shot of this thing..it is not often that a moth with a six-inch or so wingspread glides through the yard..especially during the mid-afternoon! Luckily, the moth was still on the Mimosa branch when I made my way down the hill. It just sat there resting as I snapped picture after picture! I had never seen this type moth before..most likely because I do not hang around outside much after dark just watching for moths. It was gorgeous with two large "eyespots" on its hindwings and two smaller eyespots on its forewings. The overall body was quite hairy and a beautiful golden color. The antennae were nicely plumed but not huge suggesting this might be a female. Male moths usually have quite large, feathery antennae.

The Anthera Polyphemus Moth usually emerge from their cocoons in the afternoon and then mate during the night. The female will release pheromones to attract the males..which accounts for his huge feathery antennae. He uses these to "zoom" in on the exact location of his ladylove! After the deed is done, she sets about to deposit her eggs on any number of food sources for her babes. This one would most likely choose one of the many oaks, sassafras or fruit trees that are in abundance here on the hillside. Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillars will eat their egg cases and then began to feed upon the leaves of the host tree. As soon as they strip the leaves from a branch, the caterpillars will cut the branch allowing it to fall to the ground. This is a protective action as a stripped branch will call attention to their presence. The caterpillars will grow to about three and a half inches in length before making a cocoon to prepare for adulthood. Depending upon the season, the moth could emerge during the same summer or overwinter in its cocoon.

I watched as the moth rested on the Mimosa branch before setting off toward the large oak tree near the marsh edge. I smiled as I thought of the lovely lady moth just flitting around my yard. She brought a bit of happiness to the Bayou...but this lightheartedness soon turned to despair! I was aghast to see a cardinal swoop down after my lovely lady! He smacked her with such force that she fell, spiraling toward the ground. I rushed to her aid even though I knew this was just part of nature and that truly I should not intervene. Call it instinct to want to help..or call it foolish! The cardinal saw my approach and darted into the oak branches. The moth managed to make it to the underbrush and there sought refuge. Its wings were now tattered but the moth's body seemed unhurt. Poor little thing! Knowing there was nothing I could do to help, I backed away and let nature take its course. Hopefully, the moth will be ok and can go about its business of procreating little moths and I will see more later this summer. I love my cardinals but...hey!..keep your distance from my moth!