I don't really know where else to post this because I got no replies on r/moths. So I'm just gonna post it here since the moth is technically my pet for the time being.
I found a Polyphemus moth caterpillar on July 27th. It was so big, green, and fat. It was on the sidewalk underneath an oak tree. I have been raising monarch butterflies for a few years now, so I decided to raise this Polyphemus moth. I took the caterpillar home with me, put it in a habitat, and gave it oak tree leaves. The next day, it made a cocoon. I expected it to emerge as a moth within two weeks or so, like a monarch butterfly, but it didn’t.
I would gently shake the cocoon to crack if it was still alive, and I could feel it moving. I thought that something was wrong since it was in there for so long, so I decided to carefully cut the cocoon open. When I opened it, it revealed the pupa, which was very much alive, well, and squiggling. I left it in the cocoon, but every once in a while I take it to check on it. It’s been so long since it’s been in pupa stage. Ever since July 28th. Now it’s September 17th! That’s almost two months!
I have no clue when the moth will emerge. I’m scared that it’ll emerge in the winter when it’s freezing, and I won’t be able to give it a good life indoors nor let it out.
Does anyone know if this is normal? How long do Polyphemus moths spend in the pupa stage? Is there anything wrong with my moth?
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/d5r57g/my_polyphemus_moth_has_been_in_the_pupa_stage_for/
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