I went to photograph the bones from a owl pellet collected on 13/4/24, for ID (sighting 4566395) When originally found, the owl pellet was a mass of larvae feeding on the pellet material, which I collected along with the bones. The pellet dried out, and I assumed that the larvae had died. I was shocked (and excited) to discover, months later, that some of the larvae had pupated and emerged! I have no idea when, but they remain collected. Hope this is of interest.
@LisaH : Of great interest, see http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/tine/chrysogramma.html The material around the pupal skin looks like soil, or is it dried material from the pellet?
I wonder if the moth eggs were already on the fur/feathers of the owl's prey, or were laid after the pellet was ejected?
Nice work documenting your find and rearing the larvae. A new species for NatureMapr and the South Coast region. Excellent photos. Do you know the species of owl?
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