[NatureNS] cecropia moth emergence and copulation, June 15-17/09,

Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:00:55 -0300
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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JUNE 15, 2009 - At tonight's BLOMIDON NATURALISTS SOCIETY monthly  
meeting, Bernard Forsythe brought in a big, beautiful, freshly  
emerged (great timing!) new adult CECROPIA SILK MOTH, in a wire cage  
containing a stick with a huge parchmenty and hairy cocoon found on a  
shrub or tree in the Wolfville area.  The moth was a FEMALE, told by  
the relatively narrow antennae (vs. the broad, feathery feelers of  
males).  After the meeting, Bernard was going to put the cage and  
enclosed moth outside for the night at his home on Wolfville Ridge,  
to see how many MALES will be attracted by the pheromones that the  
female will be producing.  Males are supposed to be able to detect  
single molecules of these complex chemicals at long range (a mile?)  
and then follow a gradient of scent to find the female.

I found out that overnight the wire cage with the new female CECROPIA  
MOTH got moved from Bernard's porch (probably by a raccoon?), and  
that no male was there when Bernard inspected it the next morning.   
Then he waited until evening and placed the female moth on a branch  
in his yard.  The following morning he found the female in the same  
spot but now COPULATING with a male cecropia.  He left them there and  
discovered that they were still in that same position and apparently  
still copulating.

Recently Donna Crossland had sent me a photo of COPULATING LUNA MOTHS  
from somewhere near the South Shore, and her sister said that the  
copulation lasted at least 12 hours!

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

Jim (James W.) Wolford
91 Wickwire Ave.
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
B4P 1W3

phone 902-542-9204
e-mail <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>

"In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau
------------------------
Humans aren't the only species on the earth - we just act like it.
P Please consider the environment before printing this email

[last two lines from Linda Lusby]
------------------------





--Boundary_(ID_nRFpDvTZcJ2fskTrp5JAYg)
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<html><body 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"Arial" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 11.9px Arial"><b>JUNE 15, =
2009</b> - At tonight's <b>BLOMIDON NATURALISTS SOCIETY</b> monthly =
meeting, Bernard Forsythe brought in a big, beautiful, freshly emerged =
(great timing!) <b>new adult CECROPIA SILK MOTH</b>, in a wire cage =
containing a stick with a huge parchmenty and hairy cocoon found on a =
shrub or tree in the Wolfville area.=A0 The moth was a <b>FEMALE</b>, =
told by the relatively narrow antennae (vs. the broad, feathery feelers =
of males).=A0 After the meeting, Bernard was going to put the cage and =
enclosed moth outside for the night at his home on Wolfville Ridge, to =
see how many <b>MALES</b> will be attracted by the pheromones that the =
female will be producing.=A0 Males are supposed to be able to detect =
single molecules of these complex chemicals at long range (a mile?) and =
then follow a gradient of scent to find the female.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11.9px/normal Arial; =
min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 11.9px Arial">I found out that =
overnight the wire cage with the new female <b>CECROPIA MOTH</b> got =
moved from Bernard's porch (probably by a raccoon?), and that no male =
was there when Bernard inspected it the next morning.=A0 Then he waited =
until evening and placed the female moth on a branch in his yard.=A0 The =
following morning he found the female in the same spot but now =
<b>COPULATING</b> with a male cecropia.=A0 He left them there and =
discovered that they were still in that same position and apparently =
still copulating. =A0</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 11.9px/normal Arial; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
11.9px Arial">Recently Donna Crossland had sent me a photo of =
<b>COPULATING LUNA MOTHS </b>from somewhere near the South Shore, and =
her sister said that the copulation lasted at least 12 =
hours!</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
face=3D"Arial"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" face=3D"Arial"><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: 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers =
from Jim in Wolfville</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 =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">Jim (James W.) Wolford</font></div><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: =
12.0px Helvetica">91 Wickwire Ave.</font></div><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: 12.0px =
Helvetica">Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada</font></div><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: =
12.0px Helvetica">B4P 1W3</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 =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">phone 902-542-9204</font></div><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: 12.0px Helvetica">e-mail =
&lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>></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 style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">"In =
wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David =
Thoreau</font></div><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: 12.0px =
Helvetica">------------------------</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"4" color=3D"#6d1a7d" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Helvetica; color: #6d1a7d">Humans aren't the only species on the earth - =
we just act like it.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Monaco" size=3D"6" color=3D"#3b7c17" style=3D"font: 24.0px =
Monaco; color: #3b7c17">P</font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#2c4a7a" style=3D"font: 15.0px Helvetica; color: #2c4a7a"> =
</font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"4" color=3D"#3b7c17" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Helvetica; color: #3b7c17">Please consider the =
environment before printing this email</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Helvetica; =
color: rgb(59, 124, 23); min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"4" color=3D"#3b7c17" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Helvetica; color: #3b7c17">[last two lines from =
Linda Lusby]</font></div><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: 12.0px =
Helvetica">------------------------</font></div><div><font =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
face=3D"Helvetica"><br></font></div></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top:=
 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" face=3D"Arial"><br></font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
face=3D"Arial"><br></font></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
face=3D"Arial"><br></font></div>
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