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The fascinating life cycle of the moth in pictures

The fascinating life cycle of the moth in pictures

Published on January 30, 2020 On Bush News

Recently, at Valbonne Villa, our reserve manager Attie came across the intriguing sight of two moths mating on a wall.

Nearby to the pair was was the empty cocoon of one of the recently hatched moths. Over the next couple of weeks we went back to the site in the hope of recording the continuation of the life-cycle. Soon after the first image was taken, we found a cluster of perfectly formed white velvety moth eggs, and not long after that we say that they had all hatched into stunning little caterpillars! Attie managed to perfectly record each main stage of the complete metamorphosis taking shape in our own back garden!

Moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) are one of the most spectacular and diverse orders of insects, especially so because of their incredible ability to transform themselves via the various stages of their life cycle (as demonstrated below) from a seemingly unremarkable little worm into a beautiful winged insect. It is one of natures’ most fascinating stories!

The whole process begins with mating moths…

The four stages of the moths transition:

It starts with the laying of the eggs by the female after mating
The eggs then hatch into what is called the larva (caterpillars/’worms’)
These pupate in a nest called a cocoon, and metamorphosise into a moth inside – one of nature’s greatest wonders of transformation.
Finally they emerge from the cocoon as a fully grown moth, and head out to seek a mate, and the process begins again!

We have established that the moth pictured here is a species of African Silk Moth (gen. Ocinara), of the Bombycidae family. The best known species within the Bombicidae family is the Bombyx Mori (or ‘domestic’ Silkworm) which originates in Asia, and is the primary producer of silk!

However, Wild Silk Moths are different from their ‘domestic’ cousins as they have not been selectively bred; they are thus not as commercially viable in the production of silk.

In the ‘domestic’ species, the cocoon is made of a thread of raw silk anywhere from 300 to about 900 metres in length!

Please help us to identify this species

According to the website African Moths this particular species photographed above at Tomjachu is unknown. If anyone can identify this species we please do let us know!

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