Giant caterpillars at the library

MANAWA – Anyone that has been to the Sturm Memorial Library over the last week may have noticed two stand-out visitors that have drawn interest from kids to adults.
Kelly Ramstack, in charge of adult programming at the library, brought in two Cecropia moth caterpillars.
Ramstack said she has been interested in the giant caterpillar and moth for the last three years, something she said her mom got her into.
“My mom is the one who gets me into all of this crazy stuff, I blame her,” Ramstack said. “But we find it fascinating, we’re just nature lovers and after I saw her go through a life cycle with them, I was like ‘ok, I guess I’ll try.’”
The lifecycle of the Cecropia moth starts in the spring, which can be late May or early June, when the moths have their mating season.

Male Cecropia moths have large antennae that assist in helping them find a mate, as the female releases pheromones for the male to find her, this happens through a shivering and fluttering motion, Ramstack said.
Once the female moth lays eggs they do not live long afterward, the lifecycle of the moth is only two weeks.
Once the moths hatch they are small, Ramstack said about the size of pencil lead, and they are totally black.
Ramstack said the caterpillar will shed their skin five times between when they hatch and when they go into their cocoon.
The caterpillars will grow quite large, eating leaves, Ramstack said, that once they start on one particular leaf she will leave that as their food source as changing out to a different leaf could cause a disruption.
Ramstack said the library’s resident caterpillars are eating cherry leaves.
The most notable feature of these caterpillars is their coloring.
The body is bright green however they all have what are called dorsal knobs, which vary in color.
The thoracic knobs are orange, the abdominal knobs are yellow and the sides are pale blue, making the creature quite the sight to behold.
Ramstack also pointed out how sticky they can be, she said if you were to put one on your hand the only way to get it off is to entice it to move by putting a branch next to it, however you will not be able to pull it off yourself.
Ramstack decided to bring in the caterpillars this year to show and educate on the lifecycle of this Midwestern native moth. Once both are in cocoons they need to get somewhere cold.
Ramstack said she will keep the cocooned moths in her garage through the winter as cold temperatures are integral for their metamorphosis.
“If they didn’t get that they could emerge too soon and then they’re not going to find a mate and then you just kind of ruin the whole thing,” she said.
The caterpillars will make their cocoon around the end of August and remain in the cocoon for ten months.
Ramstack said the moth will chew a small hole at the top of the cocoon and crawl out, after which they pump their wings to dry their wings so they are able to fly.
The cocoon itself is very tough and would take very strong, sharp scissors to cut through.
Ramstack said once the moths emerge they have no mouths, no capacity to eat or drink.
“Their sole purpose is to mate and then they die and the lifecycle starts all over again,” she said.
Ramstack said she will leave the cocooned moths at the library for a little longer, then transfer them home, she hopes to bring them back for an afternoon next spring after they have left the cocoon.
However, it would be for a short period of time as the moths would need to be released soon after emerging and they would also need to be released in the evening being that they are nocturnal as well as prey for birds.