Hatched!

They've hatched!

I was taken completely by surprise tonight. I was watching TV when I noticed the pot containing the eggs that I received from the mail yesterday was now crawling with tiny black lines. My caterpillars have hatched! Apparently, my eggs were only laid on Wednesday before they were sent to me. So within five days, they've gone from egg to caterpillar. I was so excited, but also unprepared. I needed bramble leaves, their foodplant, which I didn't have at that moment and I was panicking. So, despite it being past 10pm, Mum quickly popped over with some fresh bramble leaves from her garden and I placed the caterpillars and the leaves into the container that was provided along with the eggs (gently moving the caterpillars using a paint brush). Fingers crossed that they will feed on them and don't die as I was worried it had to be the native bramble and not the garden variety. I'm feeling like a first time dad right now!

My Emperor Moth caterpillars checking out the Bramble leaves