Saving the Polyphemus!

   Son often tells me that I interfere with nature too much.  According to him, each time I rescue a critter, I am depriving another.  Perhaps.  Maybe I am being a bit too pushy when I rescue skink eggs from tropical storm waters or save a frog from dehydration after being stuck in a bottle.  Maybe not.  I feel that every creature has a right to live and if I can help, then I should.

  He shook his head at me again yesterday and gave a long sigh.  I had "saved" yet another critter from certain death.  While out on my morning hike about the place, I noticed a cocoon on the ground.  The night before, we had a storm with copious rainfall and some pretty stiff winds.  Obviously, the cocoon fell during the storm.  At first glance, I thought the cocoon might be empty and perhaps the moth had emerged before the bad weather.  Picking up the cocoon, it was evident that the moth was still inside as there was no exit hole.  Hmmm?  Could it still be alive?  It definitely would not last long on the ground where any number of critters would be searching for an easy meal.  So...I held onto the cocoon for the duration of my walk.  

  About ten minutes later, an odd thing happened.  The cocoon started shaking!  Yay!  My moth friend was still alive!  Umm...now what do I do?  I pondered where to put my new friend.  The greenhouse!  Yes!  The cocoon could be propped among the plants and the moth would be safe!  I scurried in to put the thing in its new home....uhhh...maybe not.  As soon as I sat the cocoon down, I noticed frogs!  Frogs were everywhere!....and lizards!  Everywhere!  That's what I get for rescuing them and putting them in the greenhouse for the winter.  Nooo! They would surely eat the moth as soon as it emerged. Time to rethink this situation!

  So, a thin wire slipped into the broken cocoon hanger became the exact thing needed to save my friend!  Since these cocoons are usually found in either oak or hickory trees, I walked back to where I found it on the trail and wired it to a low hanging oak limb.  Whew!  Now do your thing, Moth Friend! 

  The moth that will emerge soon is a polyphemus moth.  This moth is a giant!  Its wingspread can be up to six inches!  Hopefully, a photograph of a lovely specimen will soon be had but, for now, there is only a brown, leathery cocoon. Yes, Son did ask if I checked the cocoon after the bad weather of today. (He does care!)  Nope, it still has not emerged.  

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!