I keep a notebook of everything I do at the lab. All measurements, observations, etc. Every few weeks I go through and transcribe my notes into detailed rearing notes in an Excel file for each lot (the caterpillars are in numbered lots to keep track of them). Right now I’m due for a good long note deciphering session, so to procrastinate from that, I give you… some sketches…

These are from early on, when my first batch of A. americana and A. oblinita were in their eggs. It seems like the flat edges around the eggs are used to hold their extra long setae.

This sketch is of an early instar Comachara cadburyi. They were green with white stripes – at this point they were finally starting to look like caterpillars and less like tiny lumpy green maggot-ish things.

A neat observation – a young A. americana was perched upside down on the wall of the container. It had to poop… so… it bent its body so its abdomen was dangling out in the air, and dropped a piece of frass to the ground. Little guy was conscious of not dropping frass on itself. Too funny!

I wish I had more time for sketches like these, I tend to write quite descriptions of behavior and move on to the next creature that needs my attention. We’ll see what inspires me next.