Where can I put my EHM caterpillar outside

whitekitten · #1 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 04:18 PM

I have just found a EHM caterpillar in the sun stuck on my drive. I have now moved it out of the sun into a bucket with a little soil and some fuschia leaves. I have a small fuschia and a big honeysuckle growing it the corner of my garden, is it ok to just tip him out in a shady spot under there?

whitekitten · #2 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 04:52 PM

I've put him out now, didn't want to risk him being stuck in the bucket any longer, hopefully he'll get on fine under there.

k4t3 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 05:09 PM

If yr cat is fully grown then he is prob searching for somewhere to pupate, they often wander away from foodplants to do this and yr bucket of soil is prob just what it wants. Most EHM cats are found at this stage as they rarely wander from food unless it becomes limited. But they are contrary and may pass up a perfectly good pupation site for something a bit obscure....

Many years of odd pupation sites!!

whitekitten · #4 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 05:12 PM

I'm going to keep my eye out for the next few days, even if he wants to get away from the food, there is plenty of garden there for him to bury himself in and its mostly shaded. I reckon he just got a bit off course because there is certainly nowhere for him to bury himself in the drive, its all stones.

k4t3 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 05:33 PM

They can wander for quite a way in order to find pupation sites, I have picked them up on roads, pathways and carparks...seemingly miles away from where they might feed..just hope that yrs decides to bunk down close to home, they are gorgeous caterpillars and truly beautiful moths..not often seen, but once seen, never forgotten

whitekitten · #6 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 05:42 PM

Well he now seems to climbing up the fuschia which is more than he was doing stuck out in the sun. I'm sure he'll find somewhere comfortable, hopefully he'll try wandering the other way next time, there's more soil for him that way.

k4t3 · #7 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 05:49 PM

If he's on a fuschia and near soil then he's home n dry!! They often seem like they are going to pupate then go back and eat a bit more...these generally turn out to be females

the bigger the caterpillar, the more likely it is to be a female moth...harsh but true

whitekitten · #8 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 05:58 PM

Here is a photo I took of it earlier when I found it. I put a penny in the bucket so you can see roughly what size it is.

k4t3 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 06:06 PM

Oh you got a while to go yet! Generally the males will pupate at around 2 1/2 inches long...the females can keep trenching till 4 to 4 1/2 inches long....

whitekitten · #10 (**permalink**) 09-08-2010, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k4t3

Oh you got a while to go yet! Generally the males will pupate at around 2 1/2 inches long...the females can keep trenching till 4 to 4 1/2 inches long....

There I was thinking I had a big caterpillar! He was still on the fuschia about half an hour ago, be interesting to see what happens.