I want to thank all the Wunderground users for helping me share this picture that meant a lot to me. I had not posted anything for a month and I missed it terribly, but when I had a chance to observe these interesting insects I was totally enthralled by their intense and brief life cycle and the fact that this happens million of times a day to supply the silk market all over the world.
My son's preschool teacher has had the silk eggs/worm/moths for two decades and each spring she takes a little paper out of her fridge with a few hundred eggs on it, leaves it at room temperature and after a few days the magic begins....The eggs hatch and little worms start eating (they only eat Mulberry leaves... and tons of them)and they become huge caterpillars and eventually they spin they silky cocoons where they turn into moths...
The moths live only a few days, and cannot fly. They flutter around looking for a mate, mate, and lay eggs anywhere they find an open spot. Then, they die.
I felt pretty sorry for the ephemeral life expectancy they have....and last time I went to class they were almost all dead, except 2 or 3. I asked to take the live ones home and had a fun afternoon together...
I used flowers as a stage, as many of you know I am used to doing, and thought I could at least give them a day of glory in their short lives rather than fall in the nearest trash can....And by making this picture so popular, you all helped me to achieve that. Now more people in the world know about the beautiful, fascinating and intriguing silk moth.
Thanks again!
Andrea
P.S. I added some information on my humble equipment in message No. 6.
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Updated: 9:05 AM GMT on May 30, 2007
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