Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
The Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is North America's largest native moth and a member of the Saturniidae family of Giant Silk Moths. I found the cocoon of this moth attached to a very thorny blackberry cane. I'm wondering if this might have been partly for protection as mice and squirrels will eat the pupae. I didn't have a lot of time so I took a couple of photos of it in place and then brought it into the house to photograph later. Instead of putting it into a rearing box I left it on a shelf next to the TV with some other things that needed photos taken.
Monday morning, Victoria Day in Canada, I remembered the cocoon and went to place it in a box - too late! Something caught my eye and there, hanging on a birch twig, was a beautiful female Cecropia Moth, slowly fanning her wings. When a moth, or butterfly, emerges their wings are small, wet and folded tightly around their body with more precision than a parachute in it's case. The insect must immediately start slowly beating them to pump fluids into them, expanding the wings for flight. This also helps dry the wings and strengthen their flight muscles for their next journey in life. This process takes several hours and when completed left this moth with a wing span of almost eight inches. She seemed to like having photos taken and we even did a little video.
That evening Chris and I took Victoria, named after the day, outside to release her. She wasn't excited and clung to Chris's finger like she knew what was happening. After several minutes she fluttered her wings, as if trying them out. Then she made an attempt! A short flight of about ten inches, landing on Chris's lip. Neither one seemed scared and Chris got her back on her finger after several minutes. Moments passed and finally another flutter of her wings and she let go of Chris, landing a few feet away on a post. We left her there and, after ten minutes or so, she flew off into the night in search of a mate, her life cycle nearly complete. Once she mates, she will lay up to a hundred eggs and die. Her job on Earth complete.