Two Ooths Walk Into a Bar...

[Digger]

Went out ooth hunting again today. Found TWO within half an hour!

Neither is in the best condition. The most battered one I may dissect to better understand the structure.

Also added a picture of some tent caterpillars beginning to fatten up on a crab apple tree. Anyone know what these turn into?

And finally - I found several of these really strange "egg casings?" tethered to branches with very strong silk. Does anybody recognize these objects?? See last two photographs below.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Gypsy moths I believe, most people burn the nest on sight.

 

[Digger]

The house where I first grew up was in part of a producing orchard. A lot of the trees were apple and tent caterpillar burning was a great fun event. Now, the Greenies would probably prefer YOU to be burned in the tree rather than the cute 'pillars.

 

[Malakyoma]

Digger you've got more incubating unhatched ooths than me now With today's new Popa spurca hatch I only have one mesopteryx and 2 dessicata, but you have 4 sinensis!

 

[aNisip]

The pod lik things are a bunch of spider egg sacs sliked together... Nice finds!

 

[Digger]

The pod lik things are a bunch of spider egg sacs sliked together... Nice finds!

You sure about that, Andrew? Any idea of the species?

 

[aNisip]

I am positive...they are Basilica orbweaver egg sacs...let us know what you find in the dissection

 

[Digger]

Thanks. Not dissecting the spider sacs, just one of the ooths. Would be interesting to hatch the spiders. But I don't like spiders. :gun_bandana:

Digger you've got more incubating unhatched ooths than me now With today's new Popa spurca hatch I only have one mesopteryx and 2 dessicata, but you have 4 sinensis!

One of today's ooths is in fairly bad shape (birds, methinks). But I'll put the other in the nursery and wait. Might be zero. Might be an alien invasion.

 

[Digger]

Andrew,

Followed up on your ID. Mecynogea lemniscata. Thanks again. They're very common around here. Had one for weeks next to my grill last summer. Rather small (I prefer that) and beautifully iridescent. Just never seen these egg sacks before.

 

[Malakyoma]

One of today's ooths is in fairly bad shape (birds, methinks). But I'll put the other in the nursery and wait. Might be zero. Might be an alien invasion.

well same for mine. I could have none of them hatch, or they could all hatch. The risk we take with oothecae

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Would be interesting to hatch the spiders. But I don't like spiders.

Spiders creep me out

 

[Rick]

You should come down here. I have one small area where in an hour or so I had about 70 ooths of three species.

 

[sinensispsyched]

You should come down here. I have one small area where in an hour or so I had about 70 ooths of three species.

Holy ####! That's possible?! TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!

 

[Rick]

Holy ####! That's possible?! TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!

I only covered about a quarter of the habitat too. Sadly that spot is about to be developed into retail space.

 

[Digger]

That's fine Rick. But do your ooths RAIN DOWN FROM HEAVEN?

Walking back from the mailbox this afternoon, an ooth (attached to a single pine needle), fell on the driveway a foot in front of me. IT'S AN OMEN !!

 

[aNisip]

That's pretty cool Digz....

 

[Digger]

It's pretty strange, Andrew. Mike M says Nature is trying to tell me something. "You want ooths... I'LL give you ooths ! I just stood there for a minute and stared at the pavement.

 

[sinensispsyched]

I only covered about a quarter of the habitat too. Sadly that spot is about to be developed into retail space.

SAVE THE OOTHS! SAVE THE OOTHS! SAVE THE OOTHS!

 

[angelofdeathzz]

I only covered about a quarter of the habitat too. Sadly that spot is about to be developed into retail space.

Yeah, if you have the time you really should relocate some of the ooths before they're destroyed, and the plus side is you'll know where to look next year.