nanonaturalist:

Some High Moth Drama

October 9, 2017: Meet some lovely fuzzy faterpillars, bring them inside to cuddle/pupate
Soon after: I come home and the enclosure is barren of faterpillars. I assume they escaped and the cats ate them and I vowed to never speak of them again

January 13, 2018: I discover a cocoon… in a purse… across the room from their enclosure…

March 20, 2018: It’s a boy 😭

Fun fact: in the 5th photo (of the pupa) you can see his old baby clothes. The pupa is on the *inside* of the caterpillar; they molt their old skin, the pupa is revealed, and it hardens and gets darker afterwards. Before pupating, moths will make cocoons out of any of a variety of materials depending on the species and personal preference. Hairy moths often spin cocoons with their hairs. When they are all safe and snug, they will pupate!

(Species: Virginian Tiger Moth)