Graphium agamemnon

Mr.kaiser

Hello everyone, I got some eggs of graphium agamemnon recently but I dont know what to feed the caterpillars. I looked online but all I could find were plants from india and that area which I dont have access to here in Noeth America. I also dont have access to any native plants as they have all lost their leaves because it is winter. If someone could let me know of any substitute plants that I can find please let me know. Are there any tropical plants that I can find in greenhouses that they will eat?
Regards,
Alessio Zuccolo

callimorpha

Hallo Alessio! Ich habe nicht so viel Erfahrung in der Zucht von tropischen Papilioniden. Ich glaube aber mal gehört zu haben dass man die Raupen von G. agamemnon mit Citrus füttern könnte. Vielleicht wissen andere Leser hier ja mehr, aber ich denke es wäre notfalls einen Versuch wert oder? Gruß Christian.

urticaner73

Try Annona squamosa.You ate that with me.Regards, Mario

Mr.kaiser

Thanks both of you. Unfortunately where I am i dont have access to anona squamosa. But I do have access to citrus. But before I get it I have to make sure that they eat it as it is quite expensive for even a small tree. If anyone could confirm that they eat it that would be very helpful
Regards,
Alessio

Schnägge

Hi Alessio,

you can also use other plants from the Rutaceae family such as:

Murraya paniculata
Ruta graveolens
Choisya ternata, Choisya arizonica
Skimmia japonica
Poncirus trifoliata

Mr.kaiser

Thank you Schnagge. Can i also use any orange or is it just that one?

Schnägge

of course you can also use orange - just have a look here:

Rutaceae

Skandinavisk

You need to try a plant in the Annonaceae family. The only Annonaceae you have in Canada is Pawpaw - Asimina triloba - but this time of year this species has no leafs, but maybe some plants now have very young, unfolded, leaf buds on branches. If you live in a place with a Asian food store, that sell fresh fruit, you may be able to feed the larvae the peels/skin of the soursop fruit (Annonaceae family).

Alternatively try a evergreen Magnoliaceae, if you can access any. Or the very young leaf buds on branches. Records of Citrus as a food plant is incorrect.

Jan

Mr.kaiser

unfortunately, citrus is the only thing I have access to currently. Is there even a chance that they will feed on that?

Skandinavisk

Sorry, no.... Citrus species will not work.

This is a list of correct and incorrect records of host plants:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/da…ry=&sort=Family

You may have a slim chance if you can get fresh young Cinnamon or bay leafs, both in the Lauraceae (Laurel) family.

Jan

Skandinavisk

Just came to my mind.... try shaving off some very thin tissue from a Asimina triloba branch, if you can get it. Maybe you can source a potted plant in a plant nursery near your place?

Jan

Mr.kaiser

I did manage to get a soursop fruit actually. Do I just eat it and give them the skin or will they eat the actual fruit as well?

Skandinavisk

Is that soursop guyabano/guanabana (Annona muricata), or atis/custardapple (Annona squamosa)?

You will have to try your luck. The fruit flesh may be too wet and give the larvae diarrhea, but try your way out. With a sharp knife, slice very thin pieces of the peel. Remember to wash the peel well first, in case of it being sprayed with something. It may be recommendable to keep the larvae at about 25 'C to activate them eating.

Jan

Mr.kaiser

it is soursop. Should I give them the outside or inside of the peel as the outside looks very thick especially for 1st instar caterpillars. U wasn't really ready to raise these as I got the eggs at a butterfly conservatory. They just destroy the eggs when they find them so I took them myself to raise them. Unfortunately out of all the butterflies I could have picked u picked the only one that I didnt have access to the foodplant.

Skandinavisk

Sorry for my late reply. Maybe the larvae are already out and dead? Just try your way out. Maybe some paper thin shavings from the inside of the fruit would be best. Simply try.

Jan

Mr.kaiser

Don't worry, you are actually just in time. It looks like the first caterpillar will emerge tonight, which is a bit later than i expected but probably because of the current temperature. I will try that, thanks for the tip. i will let you know how it goes.

patyczak1000

Buddy used some Magnolia species to rise his larvae, females don’t lay on it, but larvae ate it willingly.

Mr.kaiser

Unfortunately, i don't have any Magnolias and they are very expensive so i can't buy any for them

Brunschi

Alessio, if its difficult find Annonaceae. At least try out Citrus which has recorded on the list ('?!

Papilionidae
Graphium agamemnon
Rutaceae
Citrus maxima
Thailand

good luck André

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