by Jeff Ausmus
Hello,
I'm not sure whether you have the Wild Silkmoths of North America book by Tuskes, Tuttle, and Collins, but in it, this method of sexing pupae is clearly defined and I find that it works very well!
Well, I was going through my pictures the other day and found that I could easily see the way to tell in some of the pictures, so I made this file and posted it on my webpage, but I thought I would send it to you incase you don't know this method.
Very nice job with the pupae, Jeff.
I usually sex by weight, just hefting, and am accurate about 80 %.
Occasionally I cut open a cocoon but then rely mostly on antennae outlines.
This method is more useful for earth pupators and is not always as obvious
as your images. My eyesight now requires a magnifying glass in some (most)
cases.
Yes, I have Wild Silkmoths of North America, an excellent book, even
though it says polyphemus are absent from P.E.I.
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