Cecropia Moth - Insect Art

Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

The adult Cecropia, a member of the Giant Silkworm family, do not have functioning mouthparts and do not feed. This characteristic has coevolved along with their pheromone mating system: the ability of females to attract distant males, and thus their characteristic feathery antennae. They range east of the Rocky Mountains and are found in a variety of open areas such as backyards and woodlands. The caterpillar eats the foliage of many trees and shrubs. This specimen was hand-reared on Black Cherry, Prunus serotina. It uses nearby foliage as a mold to start spinning its cocoon, producing a complex "cocoon within a cocoon" double structure. The inner cocoon is suspended within a network of loose silk resembling coarse steel wool.The caterpillar is capable of varying its silk color to match dried foliage or branches from which it is suspended. The cocoon over-winters and the moth emerges in May.

Artist: Kathie Miranda
E-mail address: kathiemiranda@me.com
Website: http://www.kathiemiranda.com

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Atala Butterfly (Eumaeus atala)

Atala Butterfly (Eumaeus atala)
Insect art to promote insect growth and development.

The Atala Butterfly, once thought to be extinct, is native to Florida. The host plant is the Florida coontie (Zamia floridana), which is a cycad, a "living fossil," (a form of the primitive plant life from the dinosaur era). The Atala can tolerate the natural toxins in coonties and uses the accumulated toxins and its brilliant coloration as a defense against bird predators. The female lays her eggs, five to fifteen, usually, on coontie stalks (depicted here) or deposited on the apex of mature leaflets. Caterpillars are known to be cannibalistic. The butterfly emerges in the early morning, courts and mates in the late afternoon, and dies within ten days.The nectar plant depicted here is the White Indigo Berry (Randia aculeata), a member of the Rubiaceae family. It is a pineland shrub with white, salmon-blushed fruit, and white star-shaped flowers that are exuberantly fragrant.

Artist: Sarah Saltus Siddig

E-Mail Address: sarahsaltsid@comcast.net

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Insect art to promote insect growth and development.

 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Two females are shown laying eggs on the leaves of Wild Black Cherry (Rosaceae prunus serotina), a preferred host plants. The branches are depicted as they appear in late spring (full blossom) and in late summer with ripe fruit.The Eastern tiger swallowtail reaches a wingspan of 4.8 to 5 inches. The female appears in two forms, a yellow form and a dark form, the latter being protective as it imitates the Pipevine Swallowtail which has a bitter taste.The eggs are laid on the top of the leaf and are among the very largest butterfly eggs (shown near each female.) The first instar of caterpillar resembles bird droppings. The final instar is a lovely green with lighter sides and large markings resembling eyes. It can measure up to 5.5 centimeters. The chrysalis usually hangs upright on a twig from a thread near the juncture of the thorax and abdomen.

Artist: Marsha Ra
marsha@marshara.com
Website: http://www.marshara.com

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Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemeris thysbe)

Insect art to promote insect growth and development.

The Hummingbird Clearwing moth is a small dayflying moth. Often mistaken for a hummingbird, the
moth can be seen hovering over flowers, never landing on them, using its long proboscis to extract
nectar. Butterfly bushes, red bee balm and Casa Blanca lilies are their favorites in my garden. Eggs are
laid singly on the host plants of the Honeysuckle family, and it is not unusual to find several caterpillars
feeding on the same plant. The anal horn on the back of the caterpillar is red and very long when the
caterpillar is young, but turns blue just prior to pupation, depicted. Clearwings pupate in a weak
cocoon spun among fallen leaves. The “clear” wing appears as scales wear off soon after the moth
emerges. Scale of drawing is as follows: Clearwing moth is shown in actual size and five times
magnification. Caterpillars and pupas are shown in two times magnification.

Artist: April Flaherty
E-mail: April_Flaherty@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.aprillouisedesign.com

Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charitonius)
Insect art to promote insect growth and development.

The Zebra Longwing is common to Central and South America but also resides in southern Florida. It begins mating right after it emerges from its chrysalis. The female lays five to fifteen eggs on the leaves of passion flower vines. The caterpillar (depicted twice the size) has a white body with long black spines and a yellow/green head. It can go from egg to butterfly in a little over three weeks and continues this life cycle year round.The Passion flower depicted here is Passiflora incarnata,a species common to the southern USA.The Passion flower is named for the Passion of Christ on the cross. In the 15th century, Spanish Christian missionaries discovered it and adopted its unique structures as symbols of the Crucifixion.The 72 radial filaments (depicted 10 times actual size) represent the Crown of Thorns; the ten petals, the ten apostles; the top three stigmata, the three nails; and the lower five anthers, the five wounds.