We have eggs hatching today. They are really tiny, and have no dot in their center.
Here is a closeup showing the Promethea caterpillar emerging from the egg today, June 6, 2021.Callosamia promethea eggs are tiny and lack any center dot. It’s hard to determine if they are fertile or not just looking at them.Callosamia promethea caterpillars congregate on the back of leaves just after hatching.Callosamia promethea female (top) and male (bottom). The adults normally live less than a week. They mate, female lays eggs and dies shortly after.Look closely and you can see some very tiny caterpillars roaming around on the paper towel. In a few hours or less, they’ll be on the plant. There is a very small water container holding one sprig of our food plant, Rhus trilobata, known as 3-leaf sumac.We want to keep the moisture in, but not overly moist, and certainly not wet. I use Q-tip tops to lightly plug holes. I open the box to check it a few times during the day when caterpillars are newly hatched. If it appears too dry, I give it a light misting with non-chloriinated water.
Butterfly and Moth 