Accidental discovery results in nature lesson for children
Staff reporter
Nature. It's all around us in birds, butterflies, flowers and trees. Some of nature's beauty is apparent to the naked eye; some is obscure.
Take for instance the luna moth.
It's common in this part of the country but for most residents, it's rarely seen.
Lloyd Davies, owner of Great Plains Computers & Networking of Marion, is more than a computer guru. He is a biologist and nature lover.
In early September, Lloyd, wife Robin, and children Nicholas, 10, and Samantha, 8, attended an open house at Marion Elementary School when they noticed luna moth eggs or larvae by the school's gymnasium doors.
"There were 40 to 50 eggs," said Lloyd. "So, we scraped them into an envelope and took them home."
They were concerned about the species being left to the elements because of the cool weather.
Within a week, some of the larvae hatched and there were 20 to 25 green caterpillars.
Lloyd did some research to determine the best diet for the caterpillars and soon discovered they were particularly fond of leaves from sweet gum trees.
Fortunately there are such trees in Marion and the sweet leaves were gathered daily.
"We'd fill up the aquarium in the morning with leaves and by evening there would just be stems," said Lloyd.
The caterpillars then spun cocoons made from silk and debris in the aquarium. Davies had hoped to keep the aquarium in a cool enough area for the caterpillars to hibernate until spring.
Unfortunately, it was too warm for them to stay in their cocoons, and on Saturday, eight days after the cocoons were made, some of the cocoons hatched and released beautiful green moths.
In their natural surroundings, adults emerge from cocoons in mid-morning. Moths push themselves against one end of the cocoon, tearing at the silk with horn-like projections near the base of the fore-wing.
A secretion called cocoonase helps to break down the sericin binding the silk. The soft moth escapes through a hole approximately three-eighths of an inch in diameter. When it gets out of the cocoon, the moth must climb to hang its wings and wait to dry before it can fly.
The moths have a short life span of only one week.
In the late evening, the female extends a scent gland from the posterior of her abdomen and begins releasing an airborne pheromone. This scent attracts the male.
Males usually emerge a day or two before females and it is rare that unmated females would be captured at lights because females usually don't fly until after mating.
The cycle begins again. Female luna moths lay four to six gray-brown cylindrical eggs with concave tops on the underside of food plant leaves. Females have a capacity of 150 to 250 eggs. Incubation time is eight to 13 days, depending on temperature and humidity.
Larvae grows to approximately three and a half inches, and are mostly green throughout their five larval stages. They spend about one week in each stage except the fifth stage which is longer.
Larvae that are going to spend winters in the pupae or cocoon stage take on a dark amber or burgundy-brown coloration just before spinning cocoons. Some caterpillars will use a leaf wrap while others go down to the ground to spin up among whatever ground protection they can find.
Luna cocoons are papery thin, and pupae outlines can easily be seen when the cocoon is held up to a bright light.
Most adults fly from early June to early July. In warmer climates, they produce two broods or generations per year. The first brood appears from late April to May and the second nine to 11 weeks later.
The Davies' ultimate goal is to hibernate this next batch of cocoons until spring and release them to let nature take its course.
About the Davies
The Davies share their love of nature with their children.
The couple has a background in wildlife. They met at a nature center in Kansas City, Mo., 13 years ago. Both were biology majors and interested in preservation.
Local authorities and residents call on the experts from time to time to assist with the removal of animals.
"We get calls to rescue animals," said Lloyd, that have included snakes from trees, a snapping turtle, and other common wild animals.
Lloyd also has a special interest in animal husbandry and ecology.
Samantha finds the moths interesting and may consider a career in entomology.
"We want our children to know about nature," said Lloyd, and the importance of leaving nature alone.
"We're also teaching our children not to keep wildlife as pets," said Lloyd, who cited others who have tried to domesticate wild animals.
"It just doesn't work because the animal thinks its a person and cannot take care of itself in the wild," Lloyd said.
