Luna Moths

June 2011
 Everyone knows that the harder you look for something, the harder it is to find, even if what you are looking for is right in front of you. As I was taking an evening stroll through the woods at sun

down, I was trying to look for tree frogs. I looked amongst the tree branches and the leaves on the ground, when suddenly I saw some leaves rustle upon the ground. I leaned over to look closer when all of a sudden, a tree frog hopped right into the nearby puddle. He made such a splash that my face became very wet. 
I looked at the spot where the frog jumped in and saw three leaves, one on top of the other. I picked up the leaves and found some sort of black eggs underneath. These eggs were no other than luna moth eggs. I started to walk home with the leaves in my hand; luckily I brought them home because else they would have drowned; and gathered some sweetgum tree leaves for the caterpillars to feed on. The leaves would keep for a while in the refrigerator and I also didn't know how long those eggs have been sitting there. 
Anyways, when I got home I stuck some sweetgum leaves in their tank and placed the three leaves on top. I waited and waited and finally on the second day, little baby luna moth caterpillars emerged from the eggs.

 
They almost looked like tiny inch worms crawling about. I had raised moths and butterflies before from eggs, but I have never seen a caterpillar eat so much like the luna's did. Everyday I had to collect leaves and feed them straight to the caterpillars. The young tree where I retrieved the branches from started to look really bare, but I had no other source of food for the little guys. 
More and more food was taken from the tree. I was debating whether or not just to give the caterpillars a whole tree. The caterpillars started to get very large and began to rustle in the leaves at the bottom of the tank. I knew it was time for them to make their cocoon. Luna moths would molt some of their skin and wrap themselves in leaves that had fallen to the ground. 
Time passed and I could here the cocoons move and shake in the leaves. Sometimes they would make an awful racket at night, and other times I had to wonder if they were still alive.
Finally, the hatching process began. On the first night only three luna's hatched. At night I took them out and opened the lid. None of the moths would fly. So I picked them up and put them on the umbrella outside in order for them to rev up and fly away. 
The next night many more hatched eager to go forth into the world. I looked at the bottom of the tank and saw one moth stuck in his cocoon. I lifted him up and broke his cocoon off of his body and then he began to dry out his wings. Within an hour he was ready to leave in order to fly with his brothers and sisters.