Payoff.

One day last summer, the boys and I came across a ginormously huge, green luna moth larvae. It was the coolest thing ever - about as big as my finger, and so we did what we always do. We put it in one of our jillion bug boxes, gave it some leaves, and figured we'd observe it for a few days and then let it go.

Well, what to our wondering eyes should appear, but by next day, it had completely cocooned itself into some of the leaves and around a branch! Well, that was pretty cool. We'd never had this happen before, so we moved it into our bug habitat and did a little research.

So say the experts - this puppy will cocoon through the winter and then hatch come spring - so long as it's in a dry place where it won't freeze.

So, this has been its home for the past six months, at least.
I find that it really goes with my kitchen decor, don't you?
It's been a good conversation piece to say the least.

Anyway, lo and behold -
yesterday, I was walking by this thing to go into the living room, and I thought I saw what looked to be an antennae or a leg poking through the mesh holes.

Sure, enough - I unzipped the little door to have a looksee, and look what I found!

Pret-ty amazing if you ask me!
I seriously thought we were housing a dud.

Here's the little hole where she crawled out.

We know it's a girl, because she had laid eggs everywhere.
We (or I should say "I") know that the eggs won't hatch because they haven't been fertilized by a male luna moth, but Kaden says: "Well, Mama. You were pretty sure our moth wasn't going to hatch either now, weren't you? And look what happened."

So, to humor my loves, we shall keep the eggs "in a cool dark place and eagerly await the eggs to {not} hatch within the next 8-12 days."

Kaden watched her lay an egg on his hand while he was holding her.
Totally cool.
Ransom's response was a little less eager: "That's a yucky, ouchy bug!"

Did you know?

~ Adult luna moths have no mouths, so they do not eat. Hence, they die in about a week. Kind of sad, but this makes me not feel bad about keeping her.
~ Females send out a scent to call their male counterparts to come and mate.
~ They will wait quietly for their man for a couple of days before they'll give up and lay eggs anyway - duds though they may be.
~ This is a really cool site if you had a hankering to raise any of your own. You know, just for kicks and giggles.
~ I'm thinking that this funky winter that we've had caused this little lady to hatch maybe just a bit early. We are still mid-winter with no other butterflies or moths flitting about outside yet.

Smudge is hoping for a snack.
He is less than impressed about the boys protecting "Miss Camoflauge."

Finally, a little taste of spring.
Now the boys are dreaming about snakes and salamanders; frogs' eggs and newts.
That's what little boys - and their Mama's, I guess - are made of!