Sunday 28 June 2009

A Wonderful Surprise

I was just getting ready to go to bed when I saw that something special had happened. The first of my Japanese silk moths, Antheraea Yamamai, had hatched. I'm sure he wasn't there this morning or even lunch time when I was tidying in the dining room.
What a beautiful creature, yellow, golden yellow and light tan, with hairy legs and large leaf like antenae. The antenae are what tell me it's a male. His body is nearly as big as the cocoon he emerged from. It must have been a tight squeeze in there!
I have three more cocoons. Let's hope the next to hatch is a mate for him.

His wings have a span of 6 inches.
The small moth at the bottom of the picture is one of the Bombyx Mori, so small in comparison, even though there was not much difference in cocoon size.

3 comments:

  1. Wowee! He's big and beautiful Maggie. How exquisite are his markings!

    Lesley Xx

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  2. How fabulous. Hope the others hatch soon so they all have a mate. Thanks for showing the photo, Cheers Rosie

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  3. Gosh, never been too sure about moths and other fluttery-in-the-night things, but he's a beauty!
    Chris x

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