Observation date: July 14, 2022
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Batch rearing from Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Photos are in reverse chronological order. Adult shown is the first emergence, larval photos are images from the batch. Larvae feed communally. They were found feeding in two groups as recently hatched larvae on 7/14/21. They ate from the lower surface of the leaf, eating all but the upper epidermis and the largest veins. Once they finished eating most of the first leaf on 7/14, they left it as a group and made four new clusters (one group of which wasn’t on the new leaf but on the side of the container next to it), but have abstained from feeding on the new leaf for a few days. New frass began to accumulate on the new leaf. As of 7/16, the larvae had still not begun to feed again. Most of the group that was on the side of the container was moved onto the leaf, and beneath them there seemed to have been a very fine, thin mat of silk, indicating they were probably molting. They resumed feeding as groups again on 7/17. Gained faint latitudinal red bands on 7/18. Seemed generally to have a brief hiatus from eating when molting, occasionally taking 2 days or so between feeding. By 7/25, the larvae started becoming slightly more solitary, a few breaking off from the big groups to feed on their own. An interesting side observation: After the leaves dried up in the tent on 7/27, many clustered on some lime green tape that was used to patch a hole in the mesh. This is intriguing, suggesting they may see colors since they clustered on the green tape and the others that wandered from the leaves were all spread out. The first larva pupated on 8/5 in a whitish-yellow silk cocoon. Larvae spun cocoons between leaves, in notches in stems between leaves or by folding a single leaf. Final pupation was on 8/12/21. Cocoons were put in a fridge in late October 2021 and were taken out on 3/5/22. This first adult emerged on 4/1/22. For more photos see here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112108925
Status: Resident
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: January 08, 2023
Coordinator notes: None.
