Velda Pine Moth Pupation Creepshow

Uploaded by: jcmegabyte
Video Description:
This could be from a Sci-Fi mutant insect invasion movie - but it's actually 100% nature! These are actual photos and video documenting the pupation process of the Velda Pine Moth (Coloradia velda), a member of the Saturniidae family of giant silk moths. This pupation process normally happens a few inches underground, in a small chamber constructed in the soft earth by the caterpillar. After spending the winter in this underground cocoon chamber, it develops, emerges from the pupal case and claws its way to he surface. Once there, it expands its wings and begins the short (2-7 days) adult phase of its life where the primary function is reproduction. The soundtrack is "Monster Music" from the Technician CD "Halloween 2001". Much more Lepidoptera documentary at JCMDI.COM, free to the public.
Enjoy!

Tags for this video: cocoon coloradia creep creepshow emerging hatching insect jcmdi lepidoptera moth pine pupal pupating saturniidae shell show technician velda

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Very Interesting! ( 5 months ago by 49350006)

Very Interesting!

Thanks for watching ... ( 5 months ago by jcmegabyte)

Thanks for watching! :D

Nature is so ... ( 5 months ago by topsy420)

Nature is so interesting, thanks for the upload!

I agree! More to ... ( 5 months ago by jcmegabyte)

I agree! More to come... Thanks for watching :D

I found a dark ... ( 5 months ago by lovisa31)

I found a dark reddy-brown pupa in my garden, but it doesn't wriggle, if it is alive what will it turn into?

Pupae are pretty ... ( 5 months ago by jcmegabyte)

Pupae are pretty difficult to tell, even with photos. Some keys: If in/on the ground- probably a moth. If really big, maybe a Sphinx moth. If on a plant, probably a butterfly. Hanging by its tail, maybe Nymphalidae. If suspended upright (or nearly upright) by tail and loop around its middle, it's likely a Swallowtail. Tell me a bit more I could narrow it down: On ground or plant (what kind of plant?), size, shape (photo would be ideal), geographic location... PM if needed. :-)

It was on the ... ( 5 months ago by lovisa31)

It was on the ground, just in the dirt.
So is a moth the next stage, or is a catapillar first?
And all the other videos show them wriggling, but mine doesn't move on its own?
Thank you so much :)

If it was in the ... ( 5 months ago by jcmegabyte)

If it was in the dirt and shaped like the one in this video, then it's a moth for sure. Life cycles go: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis or cocoon), then adult (butterfly or moth). Many earth-pupating moth pupa are very stiff and don't move on their own. They are also brittle and can break open, so be careful. If it's heavy (feels like it's full of water) it's probably still OK. If light and airy (like paper), it's probably dead. Cage it and wait to see what emerges! :D

Thank you very much ... ( 5 months ago by lovisa31)

Thank you very much, you've been a wonderful help :) I'm actually quite excited to raise my little moth, haha.

I have a question ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

I have a question for you. i have corn earworms and one of them already pupated and emerged.Since they pupate under ground, is is possible to view their pupation process without harming them or stopping their growth?
answer as soon as you can please

I'm not familiar ... ( 4 months ago by jcmegabyte)

I'm not familiar with Corn Earworms, but maybe my experience with other species might help.
Most underground pupators have only a few days to find a suitable place before their bodies start changing into pre-pupae. Some will pupate fine in a plain plasic container while others (Sphinxes, for example) can't pupate successfully without moist earth. Separate your worms into groups and try d
ifferent tactics. Also try to dig up dug-in worms after a few days to catch them before they pupate. :D

thank you so much ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

thank you so much for answering. Once they pupate, for example since sphinxes are similar to my worms, would i be able to take them out of the dirt and watch, or do they have to be in-ground the whole entire time?

You should be able ... ( 4 months ago by jcmegabyte)

You should be able to safely dig-up the pupae to watch them emerge. Sometimes the moths have trouble exiting the pupal shell if it isn't anchored, so you might wrap the lower half of it in a paper towel to hold it in place. Also, something at the head end for the emerging moth to grasp and pull itself free is helpful. You can see a setup like this in of my videos: v=ykktucyU8E0 A little more material to grasp than what I used would be even better. :D

oh i understand now ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

oh i understand now. thank you so much! another question. how did you know when to set up the camera? my camera doesnt have a long battery life so when should i set it up if i want to see the emersion?
Also, do you have experience with wooly bear caterpillars? they turn to isabella moths, but can you take it out of the cocoon without it dying?

thanks alot! i have ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

thanks alot! i have another question for you. i dont know if youre familiar with wooly bear moths, but they emerge as isabella tiger moths. can i oped the cocoon and watch it without it dying. also, how do you know when to set up the camera when you're filming the process? my camera has low battery and i dont want to be filming nothing and then have my battery run out when it emerges.

Removing a moth ... ( 4 months ago by jcmegabyte)

Removing a moth pupa from its cocoon should be OK, so long as you don't injure it. Not sure why but sometimes moths don't expand their wings properly without the struggle to exit the cocoon.
Predicting eclosion is a matter of getting familiar with each species. Rear a LOT of them and learn their habits intimately. Plug your camera in so power isn't a problem. I've only reared a few woolies, but the usual methods apply. Rear them all the way through to see what they are! :D

Sometimes, you can ... ( 4 months ago by jcmegabyte)

Sometimes, you can see the moth's wing pattern and colors through the pupal shell just before it emerges, and sometimes the pupal shell will get very soft.
Most species emerge at a certain of day, but it's different for each species. If you rear a bunch of them, they'll usually all eclose within a few days of each other. You just have to learn all the details about the species you are working with. It's taken me years to film some of mine successful
ly. :-)

Thank you so much ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

Thank you so much for helping me with this little adventure of mine.:D Believe it or not, im 13. i love bugs and have been trying to grow caterpillars bbut havent got the chance until now.:)

Did yyou post any ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

Did yyou post any enclosions of wooly bear caterpillars

That doesn't ... ( 4 months ago by jcmegabyte)

That doesn't surprise me at all - my fascination with leps started when I was 6 or 7 years old. Keep at it - there's a whole hidden world to explore and discover. AND, there is still room to discover and document things the world has never seen... It's very cool to be the first to break new ground :D

Yea, i remember ... ( 4 months ago by moveemaker95)

Yea, i remember when i was as young as 2 or 3 i made a little posterboard display of bugs and i made a video of me explaining about bugs. Once i even grew mosquito larvae, but by dad made me let them go.:D .......Cool, maybe i'll be the first one to make a corn worm and a wooly!

very nice but creepy ( 2 months ago by marcus78354)

very nice but creepy

Creepy was ... ( 2 months ago by jcmegabyte)

Creepy was definitely the tone I was aiming for - thanks for watching! :-)

They definitely are ... ( 1 month ago by jcmegabyte)

They definitely are creepy - many horror movie monsters are based on insect weirdness. I have a new Painted Lady video,which might be preferable - it shows a few pupations and lots of emerging sequences. Might be worth a view. :-) watch?v=tkiU9uFwqmw
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Velda Pine Moth Pupation Creepshow

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