Besides, I had every reason to hope that in the
spring I could secure eggs and a likeness of a female to complete my
illustration. Call this luck, fairy magic, what you will, I admit
it sounds too good to be true; but it is.
All winter these three fine Regalis pupa cases were watched
solicitously, as well as my twin Cecropias, some Polyphemus, and
several ground cocoons so spun on limbs and among debris that it
was not easy to decide whether they were Polyphemus or Luna.
When spring came, and the Cecropias emerged at the same time, I
took heart, for I admit I was praying for a pair of Regalis moths
from those pupa cases in order that a female, a history of their
emergence, and their eggs, might be added to the completion of this
chapter. In the beginning it was my plan to use the caterpillars,
and give the entire history of one spinning, and one burrowing moth.
My Cecropia records were complete; I could add the twin series for
good measure for the cocoon moth; now if only a pair would come
from these pupa cases, I would have what I wanted to compile the
history of a ground moth.
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