Sphinx Moth Caterpillars Shed in Time-Lapse

These two Pacific Green Sphinx [Arctonotus lucidus] caterpillars shed their 4th instar skins to become 5th instars. The process takes only a few minutes (10-15). As the last one sheds, the time lapse speeds-up to show how the larvae change color (darkens) over the following 30 minutes. The entire life cycle documentary is posted on my website at http://lepidoptera.jcmdi.com/m/sph/lucidus/lucidusr.html

The soundtrack is "Oberion Extension" from the "Silicon Landscape" CD by TECHNICIAN (yours truly).

Much more video, photography and documentation is available at http://lepidoptera.jcmdi.com/index.html. The Hi-Res version of this video is available on DVD. Visit http://technician.jcmdi.com/lepdvd01/lepdvd01.html for details.

Category:

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[nodollarsign]

so cute!



[jcmegabyte]

Thanks so stopping by!  :-)

[Smozi]

Nature is a beautiful and disgusting thing.

[jcmegabyte]

Ironic, isn't it?!  Thanks for stopping by! :-)

[jcmegabyte]

Ironic, isn't it?! Thanks for stopping by! :-)

[AStandsForFrench]

Dawwwww,

[jcmegabyte]

Thanks for checking it out! =)

[marioptera]

I find your videos very enlightening. Incidentally, this is one of my favourite species and unfortunately, one i could never find in the wild (my home location does not help much either). Congratulations for managing to induce pupation and adult eclosion in a difficult species.

[LibraLovesFaVs]

Very cool! :o)

[jcmegabyte]

In this vid they were about 1.75 inches long. They eventually grew to nearly 3 inches before burrowing underground to pupate. Thanks for watching! :-)