Third Grade Students Request Assistance
Hello wonderful bug people,
My third grade students rescued a moth that was dying. It laid eggs just before it died, and those eggs have now hatched! It’s been very exciting here in our classroom at Clayton Elementary in Austin, Texas. We’ve done some internet research and believe our moth is a Polyphemus moth… we would like verification of that, and also request assistance in knowing what type of leaves to feed the little larvae that are now crawling around. Thanks for the help.
Patricia Detrich
Third Grade Teacher
Hi Patricia,
Polyphemus Caterpillars will eat leaves from a wide variety of deciduous trees, including alder, basswood, birch, chestnut, elm, hickory, maple, poplar and sycamore. We would recommend keeping about ten young caterpillars for classroom observation and placing the rest on host trees in vaarious locations.