The Polyphemus cats have moved into their next instar! Caterpillars pass through five stages of growth, called instars. They enter each new stage by shedding their old skins. Caterpillars often stop eating a day or so before shedding. They use silk to attach their rear ends to leaves or twigs. They puff themselves up to…

I thought I was done with Polyphemus moths when the past spring’s group didn’t end up producing any offspring. I was wrong. Last fall, students in a friend’s preschool class found a caterpillar at their school. It made a cocoon and stayed in it all winter. Two weeks ago, a beautiful Polyphemus emerged – a…