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Janet Brien
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Canon 100mm 2.8L
Clio Tiger Moth
Ectypia clio
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Oregon
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239/365: "Gluttony is not a secret vice." ~ Orson Welles

239/365: "Gluttony is not a secret vice." ~ Orson Welles
10...yes, TEN more pictures in notes above! ENJOY THE SHOW!! :D

I can't believe how much fun I've been having raising caterpillars from eggs! To bring you up to date, I brought a small twig into the house on July 25, which had some eggs on it. I discovered that they were from Clio Tiger Moths after finding one laying eggs exactly like the ones I had. Although the stick was literally only a tiny fraction of the number I found, I was amazed when the eggs hatched and there were so many itty bitty caterpillars crawling around! They were so small I could just barely see them! I got them some milkweed leaves to eat, and every day since I've been bringing them fresh leaves and keeping their habitat clean and increasing the size of their container as they've grown. (You can read the original story of the caterpillars here: Piggy 'Pillar!!)

Now, I have read that caterpillars grow fast, but I've never raised them before now, and I have to tell you: it's absolutely AMAZING how fast they grow!!! In one month's time, they have grown from about 1/16" in size to about 1.5" for the largest ones!! It's just incredible to me! In order to get that huge so quickly, all they do during the night is eat, and they sleep all day like a bunch of gluttenous oinkers! :D

Today I wanted to show one of the big ones next to a quarter so you can see how huge they've become! At last count, I have about 50 of them, which is surprising because only about 5 of them have died. As I'm sure you probably know, the reason so many eggs are layed is because the survival rate is extremely low, so with the huge number of offspring, at least a few may make it to adulthood. We'll see how many live until pupal stage, but I will bet it will be at least 40. The largest are getting close to pupal stage, and I just can't wait to watch that show!! STAY TUNED!!!

I added a bit of texture to the background from Jerry Jones, using his Fire Damage 10-21-09 TOTD # 87 image for the edging! THANKS JERRY!! :)

George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, writer and producer who worked in theater, radio and film. He is best remembered for his innovative work in all three media, most notably Caesar (1937), a groundbreaking Broadway adaptation of Julius Caesar and the debut of the Mercury Theatre; The War of the Worlds (1938), one of the most famous broadcasts in the history of radio; and Citizen Kane (1941), consistently ranked as one of the all-time greatest films. Wikipedia: Orson Welles

Explored on August 27, 2013. Highest position, page 3 (#65).

Christina Sonnenschein, , , and 29 other people have particularly liked this photo


20 comments - The latest ones
 Pam J
Pam J club
Now THAT is just one heck of a toupe !!!!

SO much fun !!!

Because they have been so well fed and protected by you they are thriving !!!!

Definitely "watching this space !!!"
11 years ago.
 spih_2
spih_2
Oh, my, I wonder if you can grow them all the way to adult moths!
11 years ago.
 Julien Rappaport
Julien Rappaport club
Superbe série !
11 years ago.
 Rabbitroundtheworld
Rabbitroundtheworld
Clever you! Super series of shots.

We called these Woolly Boys when I was little, and we'd always stop and lift them off the path in front of us if we saw them, so they didn't get stood on.
11 years ago.
 Mike (Bogger3)
Mike (Bogger3)
WOW Excellent details ;-)
That's Wild!!
Seen in

Wonderful World
of Wildlife!!
11 years ago.
 William Sutherland
William Sutherland club
Wonderful caterpillar shot!
11 years ago.
 Soeradjoen (limited time)
Soeradjoen (limited…
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT!!!!
11 years ago.
 ╰☆☆June☆☆╮
╰☆☆June☆☆╮ club
Well done Janet. love it :-))

That's Wild!!
Seen in

Wonderful World
of Wildlife!!
11 years ago.
 sasithorn_s
sasithorn_s
Excellent macro series of caterpillar shots!!
Perfect clarity, details and composition in each and every photo!
Truly amazing, Janet!
11 years ago.
 sasithorn_s
sasithorn_s
:)

Seen and admired in : P'TITES BEBÊTES EN MACRO.
11 years ago.
 Bernhard Hofbeck
Bernhard Hofbeck
A really great series!
11 years ago.
 Martyn Gavan
Martyn Gavan
Really Fantastic pitures....
11 years ago.
 Fantasyfan
Fantasyfan
Those hairs are marvelous
11 years ago.
 Maeluk
Maeluk club
Lovely set of photos. I don't see moths often here ..I will look forward to seeing them transform :)
11 years ago.
 Don Sutherland
Don Sutherland club
Great shot.
11 years ago.
 Blueman
Blueman
Excellent!
11 years ago.
 Malik Raoulda
Malik Raoulda club
Incredible, a series of beautiful,
incredible track that strangely resembles a braided hair ..!
11 years ago.
 sasithorn_s
sasithorn_s
Congratulations!!

Seen in : Ipernity Frontpage & What's Hot
11 years ago.
 tiabunna
tiabunna club
A great series of macro shot(s) and story, Janet. And you can feed them on weeds!
11 years ago.
 Dinesh
Dinesh club
Wonderful
11 years ago.

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