Promethea Silkmoth
Family Saturniidae, Subfamily:  Saturniinae
Callosamia promethea
Immatures

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Eclosure



Oviposited 20 June 2013
Photo on 24 June 2013
They have been misted with water
eggs


Ovum on 30 June 2013
 beginning to get paler
eggs on 30 June


Size comparison with  Hyalophora cecropia ova on the left
and Callosamia promethea on the right

ova


Emerging on 1 July 2013 6:57 A.M.
emerging


All new emergees together on underside of Chokecherry Leaf - 5 mm long
emergees


Second Instars - Molted  6 July 2013
Photos on 7 July  - 8 mm long
2nds


Second Instars - Molted  6 July 2013
Photos on 7 July

2nds


Third Instar - Molted  7 P.M.,  10 July 2013
Photos on 10 July 2013
11 July 20 mm. long
3rd instars


Third Instar - Molted  7 P.M., 10 July 2013
Photos on 10 July 2013
11 July 20 mm. long
3rd instar


Fourth Instar - Molted  15 July 2013 - 9:44 A.M.

Photo shows the discarded white skin or exuvia
4th I.S.


Fourth Instar Walking
 Prolegs showing red
hooks used to cling to  the leaves
Molted  15 July 2013 - 9:44 A.M.
Photos on 15 July 2013
prolegs


Fourth Instar
Molted  15 July 2013 - 9:44 A.M.
Photos on 15 July 2013

4th instar


Fourth Instar
Shows both the three pair of segmented legs or thoracic legs,
one pair on each thoracic segment  and the four pair of  prolegs
Photos on 15 July 2013
lateral


Fifth Instar - Photo on 23 July 2013
5th instar


Fifth Instar - Photo on 23 July 2013
5th

 Cocoon
cocoon


 Cocoon
cocoon


Pupa taken out of cocoon 5 August 2013
Male has a mark on the fourth segment from the
wing case that indicates it is a male
pupa

Photo Details
Kevin Collison from Osceola, Polk County, Wisconsin (elevation 825 feet) reared some promethea in 2012 and when the females emerged in 2013 he mated the females with wild caught males.  A  female o
viposited 20th June 2013. They should hatch in seven to 10 days.  10 to 14 days per "Butterflies and Moths of North America"

They emerged beginning at about 7A.M. 1 July 2013 and finishing that evening (eleven days at about 78 F.) . 100 percent hatch rate. After emerging they all went to the underside of the leaf. 5 mm Long  The three that first emerged hadn't started to eat after two hours so the tip of the leaf was cut so they could better smell the chokecherry and recognize it as a host plant.  After another hour they had eaten a notch out of the bottom of the leaf and continued feeding on the chokecherry.

Molted to Second Instars  6 July 2013 - 8 mm long
Molted to Third Instars  10 July 2013. On 11 July  they were 20 mm long
Molted to Fourth Instars  14-16 July 2013
Molted to Fifth Instars  18-20 July 2013
Began spinning cocoons 22 July 2013
Pupa was formed before 5 August 2013 on this one that started spinning  the cocoon on  22 July 2013. I cut this one out in order to photograph it. It was returned to the cocoon and wrapped in  some paper towel to hibernate.
These were placed in the crisper of a fridge on 29 September, 2013.  Temperature of about 41 F.

Host Plant

Black Chokecherry - Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa


Range
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