Florida
Nature Pictures
Butterflies
Diaphania indica
The Cucumber Moth
I found these
little guys munching away at my Zucchini leaves.
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The caterpillars of the Cucumber moth feed at night and during the day, they roll over a piece of leaf and make a little hiding place.
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You
can tell when the caterpillar is about ready to pupate or start making
its cocoon when the two white lines on the back are barely visable.
This one to the right is nice and big and getting ready to shed its skin and become a pupa. |
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Here is another picture where the caterpillar is even closer to shedding its skin. The body starts to bloat up.
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Here is the
cocoon or pupa of the Cucumber Moth. I took it out of its silky leaf
hiding spot so I could get a good picture.
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After 8 days, the moth emerged. Here it is still drying its wings.
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This
picture came out REALLY bad. Until I can take more, this is the only shot I have of the moth with its wings nicely spread open. The tufts of hair toward the end are bushier on the females than the males of this species. So, this looks like a female to me. |
Diaphania indica
The Cucumber Moth, Pumpkin Caterpillar
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
South Florida
9/2011