Caterpillars pass through five stages of growth, called instars, before they make chrysalises or cocoons. They enter each new stage by shedding their old skins. This Polyphemus cat is nearing the end of its last stage. Caterpillars often stop eating a day or so before shedding. They use silk to attach their rear ends 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…