Polyphemus moth egg - and a story.

Left:  A single egg laid by a female Polyphemus moth.  Right:  Female Polyphemus moth.

Insects represent about 75% of all known creatures of the Kingdom Animalia.  They have incredibly diverse life histories, and all of them lay eggs.  The number, manner of laying, and size of those eggs vary as much as the species do.  Whenever I come across insect eggs, I am always in awe of this.

I found a single egg this spring while camping in Clearwater, BC.  While some insects lay their eggs in groups, this one was clearly laid by itself.  It was also quite large, easily seen by the eye, and not terribly well hidden.  It was glued to a leaf that would be the food for the hatched larva.

It was, I think, the egg of a large silkworm moth, likely Polyphemus.  The females emerge from their cocoons gravid, ready to mate.  She will mate as soon as possible, male moths detecting her pheromones and flying to her.  After mating, she will live only for a few days; she has no mouth parts to eat or drink with.  She spends that time laying her eggs, individually (or sometimes in pairs or triplets), on host plants that the young will feed on.  

I caught a Polyphemus moth one spring, before she had laid any eggs.  I was showing a young family the large insect; the little girl wanted to hold it.  I gently transferred it to her hand, and when she gave it back, there was a small, brown oval object in her hand.  "What's that?" she asked.  I told her it was an egg that had just been laid.  She was amazed.  So was I.

I always like to show others the stuff I discover.  I think it is important to share the unseen beauty of our world, especially with children.  My hope is that it will engender an appreciation for our wild places.  Besides, you never know when a good story may come along.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com