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SilkwormsBrown Chrysalis
Location: Maine, USA
September 18, 2010 6:14 pm
I found this bug on the ground, it could’ve fallen it’s 35 mm long.
Signature: Please help me, Tucker
Pupa of a Saturniid Moth
Hi Tucker,
This is the Pupa of one of the Giant Silkworm Moths in the family Saturniidae. Some moths do not spin a cocoon, rather they dig underground an transform into a bare pupa like the one you discovered. Sphinx Moths or Hawkmoths in the family Sphingidae pupate in that manner, but their pupae are distinctly different than this. We thought this might be the pupa of an Imperial Moth, but an image posted to BugGuide shows a more elongated form, and the same is true of the pupa of the Royal Walnut Moth which may be seen on the Beautiful Hickory Horned Devil posting online by Jana Miller. Perhaps this is the Pupa of a Luna Moth that somehow fell from its loosely constructed cocoon. The pupa of a Luna Moth can be viewed on the Featured Creatures website.
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