[NatureNS] re another cecropia moth emergence on June 7/08

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:29:19 -0300
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Hi Jim,

On 13-Jun-08, at 11:56 AM, James W. Wolford wrote:

> JUNE 7, 2008 - PHOTOS taken of an adult male CECROPIA MOTH that just  
> "hatched" overnight from a cocoon that was found at Starr's Point  
> earlier this Spring (April).  In the large jar in which I kept the  
> cocoon after Spring was well advanced, below the "hatched" cocoon  
> and new moth was a puddle of thick, creamy-coloured LIQUID that  
> looked a bit like the uric acid and feces mixture that comes from  
> birds.  Can anyone help with what that expelled fluid represents?  
> (accumulated wastes from the caterpillar and pupa and metamorphosis?).
>

Yes. This is called the meconium. Pupae are unable to excrete so they  
have to wait until metamorphosis into the imago (adult stage) before  
excreting accumulated waste products. These can be very considerable  
since the majority of larval structures and even organs are destroyed  
during pupation and new organs arise from bundles of reserve cells  
called "imaginal buds." In Lepidoptera, the wings are formed, de novo,  
during this process. As you can imagine, these autolytic processes  
generate a large number of metabolic by-products. Lepidoptera have to  
be very efficient at isolating these waste products so that the pupa  
doesn't poison itself and die during this process. Large numbers of  
simultaneously emerging butterflies and/or moths, shedding these drops  
of (frequently) red-coloured meconium, have given rise to fables of a,  
"rain of blood." :->

Cheers!

Chris

Christopher Majka
Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  B3H  
3A6
c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca




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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Jim,<div><br><div><div>On =
13-Jun-08, at 11:56 AM, James W. Wolford wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> <div style=3D"word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
"><b>JUNE 7, 2008</b>&nbsp;-&nbsp;<b>PHOTOS taken</b>&nbsp;of an adult =
male&nbsp;<b>CECROPIA MOTH</b>&nbsp;that just "hatched" overnight from a =
cocoon that was found at Starr's Point earlier this Spring =
(April).&nbsp;&nbsp;In the large jar in which I kept the cocoon after =
Spring was well advanced, below the "hatched" cocoon and new moth was =
a&nbsp;<b>puddle of thick, creamy-coloured LIQUID</b>&nbsp;that looked a =
bit like the uric acid and feces mixture that comes from =
birds.&nbsp;&nbsp;Can anyone help with what that expelled fluid =
represents? (accumulated wastes from the caterpillar and pupa and =
metamorphosis?).&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; =
"><br></div></div></div></blockquote><br></div><div>Yes. This is called =
the <i>meconium</i>. Pupae are unable to excrete so they have to wait =
until metamorphosis into the imago (adult stage) before excreting =
accumulated waste products. These can be very considerable since the =
majority of larval structures and even organs are destroyed during =
pupation and new organs arise from bundles of reserve cells called =
"imaginal buds." In Lepidoptera, the wings are formed, <i>de novo</i>, =
during this process. As you can imagine, these autolytic =
processes&nbsp;generate&nbsp;a large number of metabolic by-products. =
Lepidoptera have to be very&nbsp;efficient&nbsp;at isolating these waste =
products so that the pupa doesn't&nbsp;poison&nbsp;itself and die during =
this process. Large numbers of simultaneously emerging butterflies =
and/or moths, shedding these drops of (frequently) =
red-coloured&nbsp;<i>meconium</i>, have given rise to fables of a, "rain =
of blood." =
:-></div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><=
div><br></div><div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; =
border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; =
font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: =
normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; =
-khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; =
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div =
style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Christopher =
Majka</div><div>Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova =
Scotia, Canada&nbsp; B3H 3A6</div><div><a =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><=
div><br class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div></div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></span> =
</div><br></div></body></html>=

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