Even good moths can make bad choices

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:33 pm

Don't caterpillars eat the egg material after hatching too? I wonder how much sustenance they get from that.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:58 pm

Don't caterpillars eat the egg material after hatching too?

Usually they do, and these are no exception. Here's a picture showing what things look like just a few minutes ago.

In my experience, this is a typical appearance for a clutch after the caterpillars are done eating as much eggshell as they want to. That happens very shortly after hatching (minutes to hours). Then it's either off to hibernation, or on to eating the green stuff.

I wonder how much sustenance they get from that.

Hard to say. I just can't recall ever seeing any caterpillars look this good after 5-1/2 days without food, except for the few kinds I've raised that do the hibernate thing. But this is just from memory -- I don't keep records that are nearly that good!

--Rik

Technical: Canon A710 IS camera, ISO 80, f/8, 1/80 second. Illuminated with very oblique light from a white LED backpacker's headlamp (Petzl Tikka XP) . The "CD diffraction grating test" indicates that this lamp has a smooth continuous spectrum, albeit with a strong spike in the blue. This was shot with auto white balance, followed by a very small levels adjustment to finish balancing the color.

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:36 pm

The egg "shell" gives them their first, protein-rich, meal.

Harold

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:13 am

Rik that headlight you used sounds very like the cell phone light I sometimes use which of course is intended to be WB neutral. Will have to check out that CD diffraction test.