Subject: Re: Polyphemus Predator

From: Rebecca Jolly <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 09:44:01 BST

Could it be birds?  I tend to run the light trap that we have at work from the
same power supply and if you run it too many nights in a row the birds discover
a food supply just sitting there captive!  Sometimes they will perch on the edge
catching moths as they fly in/out.

Rebecca Jolly

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Subject: Polyphemus Predator
Author:  "Lepidoptera List (LEPS-L)" <[email-masked]> at
INTERNET-MAIL
Date:    25/06/96 22:38

I had a single female polyphemus moth emerge a week ago so I put her in a
large holed screen cage which I hung 2 meters off the ground in hopes of
attracting a local male. Based on my friend's experience, they would mate
through the large holes in the screen.

The following morning there were about 6 sets of polyphemus wings, no bodies,
scattered around the yard. Some predator ate them all as they arrived in my
yard. It was windy that morning so it was hard to tell just how many there
were.

The next evening I hung the cage in my garage hoping to give any arriving
males some protection. The following morning there were 3 sets of wings in the
yard. But that morning was calm and each set of wings were together in the
grass. It appeared that the predator had caught them and ate them on the
ground.

Any ideas who the predator was? I live in the San Francisco Bay area about
a mile from a large undeveloped area. We do have the usual array of small
animals and night flying birds and of course cats. I have never seen a bat
around my house.

This story is not without a happy ending. On the third night I left the
cage door open, hoping the female would not get out and a male could get
in. A male did indeed find his way in that night - wings and body intact.

Chuck Vaughn   <[email-masked]>

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From: Clinton Summers <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 04:54:55 -0500

It could be birds, but I'll stick with cats, based on the size of
polyphemus moths.  And those lovely eye spots that are supposed to protect
them!

Clinton

___________________________________________________________________
|   Clinton B. Summers          |   [email-masked]        |
|   Dept. of Entomology         |   phone  (501)575-2451          |
|   AGRI 321                    |   fax    (501)575-2452          |
|   University of Arkansas      |                                 |
|   Fayetteville, AR  72701     |   "Man is unique among animals  |
|                               |    in his practiced ability to  |
|   All opinions expressed are  |    know things that are not so" |
|   strictly my own and do not  |                                 |
|   reflect those of the Univ.  |    Philip Slater                |
|_______________________________|_________________________________|