We have returned to Albany, California from Ithaca, New York as per Cornell University's winter closing, giving us a chance to check on our overwintering pupae. After four months in Ithaca, we have finally returned to our permanent residence in Albany, California where we still have a heap of overwintering pupae. This is the first of several posts that we will be making to update status of each species. In early September, we made a brief post indicating that the last of our regal moth (Citheronia regalis) larvae that we reared during the summer had finished pupating that also included a few photographs of prepupal larvae and pupal mass data that we received via email, both courtesy of our mother. But because the pupae were formed during our absence, this is actually the first time that we ourselves are seeing and photographing them; below are new photographs taken today of the thirteen pupae that are now three months old. The sex ratio is oddly skewed with only three of them being female, but at least our hope of breeding a second generation with this stock was quite limited anyway as it is for numerous reasons. The pupae are very hard and fairly stiff; they do not squirm. Although they are glossy, most of the cuticle is actually rough with very distinct separation of segments, especially of the last one, and several odd bumps such as the pair of tough, elevated plates on the thorax. The head and mass of appendages, for some reason, have very little separation between them though. Overall, although they look quite similar to the pupae of the relatively closely related imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), the regal pupae have significantly shorter cremesters and are pitch black rather than dark brown. While we were away, these pupae were kept in a small plastic tub which, in all honesty, was probably not a very good housing solution for an extended periods of time given climate of the house. Fortunately, all thirteen pupae that were present upon our return appear to be alive (although sixteen data points were previously recorded?). However, before taking the pictures that are shown, they were covered in a few tiny white mites that we can only assume must have been eating away at what dead external material and were not necessarily harming the pupae themselves. Like most pupae, they have a distinctive, somewhat unpleasant, odor to them. ![]() Authors Brian Liang
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Timeline 2017–present
Ithaca, New York This timeline is a series of daily posts recording our observations and experiences with various insects (primarily Lepidoptera) around the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York, starting from the time we moved here in 2017. As this is a personal blog, we try to keep collections/rearings for university research and course work to a minimum, and mainly focus on just the species we catch and raise for our own fun and interest. Posts prior to this time can be viewed at Timeline 2012-2017: Albany, California, though there is occasionally some crossover when we have returned home during breaks or reared stock derived from home (see Albany, California Updates). Archives (232)
July 2020 (1) August 2019 (2) July 2019 (35) June 2019 (46) May 2019 (20) March 2019 (1) January 2019 (1) November 2018* October 2018* September 2018 (1)* August 2018 (9)* July 2018 (11)* June 2018 (22*) May 2018 (18)* April 2018 (2)* January 2018 (6) December 2017 (5) November 2017 (1) October 2017 (5) September 2017 (26) August 2017 (19) *Currently, a significant portion of 2018 posts are missing. The notes/photos for this time period are saved on our personal files but the posts were never built due to a busy schedule that year. We are still actively building these posts when we have the time. Authors
![]() ![]() Full Species List
(Alphabetical by scientific name) Note: - Not every species we encounter is necessarily presented on this site, rather a selection of those that were of particular interest to us and that we felt were worth documenting. - We can't guarantee that all species have been identified accurately, particularly taxa we are not as familiar with. Lepidoptera Actias luna Agraulis vanillae Allancastria cerisyi Amphion floridensis Ancyloxypha numintor Antheraea polyphemus Battus philenor hirsuta Callosamia promethea Colias eurytheme Citheronia regalis Cupido comyntas Danaus plexippus Darapsa myron Diadema inscriptum Epargyreus clarus Erynnis baptisiae Estigmene acrea Euchaetes egle Eumorpha pandorus Hemaris diffinis Hyalophora cecropia Limenitis archippus Liminitis arthemis arthemis Limenitis arthemis astyanax Manduca sexta Orgyia leucostigma Pachysphinx modesta Paonias myops Papilio cresphontes Papilio eurymedon Papilio glaucus Papilio polyxenes asterius Papilio rutulus Papilio troilus Papilio zelicaon Pyrgus communis Samia ricini Smerinthus ophthalmica Speyeria cybele Sphecodina abbottii Vanessa atalanta Vanessa cardui Vanessa virginiensis Lepidoptera Hybrids Papilio polyxenes asterius × Papilio zelicaon Orthoptera Conocephalus sp. Dissosteira carolina Melanoplus femurrubrum Neoconocephalus ensiger Neoxabea bipunctata Phasmatodea Carausius morosus Diapheromera femorata Mantodea Mantis religiosa Albany, California Updates |