Carolina Wren
Cecropia Silk Moth...This is a wild male mating with a female in one of our mating cages at WFC. Like other members of the giant silk moth family, the adult cecropia moth lacks functional mouth parts and a digestive system. Due to this, they survive approximately two weeks. To find a mate, the female cecropia moth emits pheromones which the male detects with its sensitive antennae. Male cecropia moths can detect these pheromones from up to a mile away, although a male may fly up to 7 miles while searching for a female. Mating typically begins early in the morning hours and lasts until the evening. After mating, the female will lay up to one hundred eggs. These eggs are a mottled reddish brown and are usually found on either side of a host leaf. These eggs will eventually hatch into tiny black caterpillars.
Athena’s nest is in upper right corner of entrance arch in the Sotol planter. This is her 13th consecutive year to nest in this location. Thousands of people walk under nest every day. We will see Owlets in mid-April
