Releasing & Pinning Moths (Patreon)

I ended up releasing all but two of those moths I showed you back in January, so I thought I would explain what happened to them!

The first to hatch was a beautiful female Luna Moth (Actias luna). This happened late January, which was far too early for me to release her. She lived her full 14-day lifespan, and I only handled her once to reduce any stress. It was a dream to hold one, however brief!

Once I was certain she had died, I pinned her the next morning. Like any dead body, rigor mortis sets in, and it becomes very difficult to manipulate the joints of their wings.

I chose to position her in the same pose she had on my fingers, as it seemed the most natural.

The second Luna hatched in early March, still early too release. He seemed more easily stressed than her, so again I only handled him once and didn't get as many photos.

Like her, he lived a full two weeks. I set them together with him on top, and her below (I accidentally tore his wings while pinning, but I don't mind the way it looks)

The next three moths arrived closer together, with the male promethea hatching first. The female promethea (which is the red on the left) and the male promethea on the right. The male promethea was so stressed he tore his wings to shred within a day, so I let him go the following afternoon to spend what time he had left in the early spring air. Their coloring were stunning!

Last but not least, is the giant polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus). If you look, you can see through the holes in her wings!

Like the others, I released her within a few days. She seemed almost reluctant to leave my hand and to be honest. . .I was a little reluctant to let her go, too.

I learned a lot from this, and I don't know if I'm ready to raise moths. I love these gorgeous little bugs so much, but I could tell how stressful it was for them to be confined. Nothing compares to the immense joy of having one perched on my hand, but I was happiest watching them fly off towards the trees.