My Pet Inchworms

October 28th, 2009. Published under parenting, scholarly pursuits. 2 Comments.

Smoovie posing on a newly planted camote stalk, executing the classic inchworm move, they form a loop with the middle part of their bodies because that portion doesn’t have legs

Slow refused to budge from this alogbate leaf on the day of our pictorials, she was lethargic, I noticed the silky white threads  on the opposite ends of her body, I asked myself  ”Is she getting ready to hibernate in a cocoon?” , the little black things under the leaf are inchworm poop, it’s black and well-formed when they eat camote leaves, green and wet when they eat alogbate, they prefer a camote diet

Inchworms are like spiders, Slow is busy spinning silky white threads around herself, how perceptive of me, by the end of the day she had totally enclosed herself in a cocoon (see picture below), so that was why she was very sluggish, she was getting ready for the big change

Something was eating up the leaves of my Camote(sweet potato) plant. I didn’t like it. So I started turning over each leaf. And what did I find? Not one, but three inchworms snacking away happily. Eeeiow! I backed away in fright, but when I started getting used to seeing them, I  had a bright idea. Why not put them in a clear plastic container so my kids can observe them?  That was how I came to have three pet inchworms. I even gave them names: Slow and Fast. The last one I found was named Smoovie. My son asked me how I know which is which. I don’t actually. I just call them by the name I feel like saying at the moment. This super inquisitive son asked me again how I know if  a worm is a he or a she. I’m not a biologist so I just designate their gender  on a whim. At first I thought they were going to turn into butterflies, but later learned that these garden pests are going to turn into moths and breed more garden pests. My enthusiasm waned. Do moths also serve as “Hope for the Flowers” just like the butterflies?  Remember the story?  Should I terminate them? How cold is that! Matapos kong pagsawaan ang kanilang cuteness, itatapon ko sila na parang basura!