Abstract:
During the ir spring night ~a.'W n. free-ranging male cecropia moths lived a maximum
of 12 days (one of 124 recaptu red moths of 387 relea~d moths). The number of survivors
declined precipitiously after day fi ve: five to seven days is probably the usual life span.
The rcraptured moths did not have different initial weights than tho~ that were not
recaptured. The larger the moth the more absolute weight it lost and the faster it lost weight
during tne first few days. A moth lost about 20% of its we ight during the fiTht night of
night and accumulated about a 40% we ight loss during the remainder of its life.