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Dec 26, 2014 3:42 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kabby
Lowndesboro, AL (Zone 8a)
Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Bookworm Cat Lover Dog Lover Butterflies
Tropicals Bulbs Lilies Birds Bee Lover Fruit Growers
Hello! I am going to make plantings of host plants next spring, I will be planting butterfly weed, bronze fennel, and baptisia.
I saw this Imperial moth on the steps to my house last summer, he or she was not intimidated about us going up and down, he didn't move. I was looking for host plants for this moth and oaks, box elders, sweet gum and maples were mentioned. I have them all! I was reading about them and the article said adults do not feed. Are they like mayflies, hatch, mate, and die? How unfortunate. Sad

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Dec 26, 2014 4:24 PM CST
Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)
Butterflies Enjoys or suffers hot summers Hummingbirder Birds Bee Lover Bookworm
Region: Florida Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Bromeliad Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Salvias
Kabby, a lot of moths do not possess mouths making them unable to feed. They get by on the energy they consumed as a caterpillar, but do not live very long. Their primary goal is to mate. As for the caterpillars, we just raised a batch at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, where I volunteer, and we fed them wax myrtle.
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Dec 28, 2014 12:44 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kabby
Lowndesboro, AL (Zone 8a)
Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Bookworm Cat Lover Dog Lover Butterflies
Tropicals Bulbs Lilies Birds Bee Lover Fruit Growers
@mellielong I didn't know about them not gaving mouth parts. Well I got to enjoy him for 2 days. Thank you for the information.
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Dec 28, 2014 12:54 PM CST
Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)
Butterflies Enjoys or suffers hot summers Hummingbirder Birds Bee Lover Bookworm
Region: Florida Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Bromeliad Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Salvias
Two days sounds about right, sadly. Glad I could help with some information. FYI, here's a picture of the caterpillar. They come in different colors; this is the brown version. This one is nearly full grown. Obviously, they start out a lot smaller!

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Dec 31, 2014 1:31 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Kabby
Lowndesboro, AL (Zone 8a)
Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Bookworm Cat Lover Dog Lover Butterflies
Tropicals Bulbs Lilies Birds Bee Lover Fruit Growers
@mellielong Melanie my husband and I were just watching Frozen Planet, they were showing the Wooly Bear caterpillar. I spouted off my new knowledge about most moths not having mouths, and some of the other new things you taught me. Thank You!
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Dec 31, 2014 6:44 PM CST
Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)
Butterflies Enjoys or suffers hot summers Hummingbirder Birds Bee Lover Bookworm
Region: Florida Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Bromeliad Native Plants and Wildflowers Plant Identifier Salvias
I'm glad I could teach you something! I love volunteering at the museum every week in the butterfly exhibit because I always get to teach people something new about butterflies, moths, and caterpillars. And I learn even more by being able to raise all the different species we have there.
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