Best host plants to have on hand.

    Hello everyone, I have a question, and would greatly appreciate any help with this.

    When raising moths, which plants are like the ones you should always have on hand? I’m currently trying to purchase all the plants I need, and want to make sure I have the majority of ones.

    Also, when a species states its host plant it "cherry" what does that exactly mean? Like any species of cherry will work? Same with plum, apple, does it matter the variety? Same with Birch, oak, maple, etc. I try doing research, but I really haven’t come across anything that tells me that specific variety. I also purchased privet, the only variety I could find is waxleaf privet. Will that be ok? Thanks so much for any help, also I am located in the United States, Virginia.

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    • Posts: Best host plants to have on hand., Title: Breeding Butterflies: Experiences, Questions and Answers

    hi olivia,

    it is actually impossible to answer your main question. it depends on which species you want to have. as i primarily have native species (central europe), i find most of the food in nature. apart from that, i have planted some plants for specialists, as well as those that i cannot find in nature on foot. however, i think that your favourite species are not the same as mine and therefore my list of plants is of no use to you ( ;

    as far as i know - please correct me if this is not the case - you can feed a species which foodplant is labelled "cherry" with the common ones: prunus avium, prunus cerasus, prunus padus etc.. these species usually alternatively take prunus cerasifera, prunus spinosa or from the genus malus or pyrus, too. they all belong to the rosaceae family. it is worth looking not only at the scientific names of moths, but also at those of plants. this reveals many clues.

    what is the scientific name of waxleaf privet?
    i usually use ligstrum ovalifolium.

    • Posts: Best host plants to have on hand., Title: Breeding Butterflies: Experiences, Questions and Answers

    Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum' is the type I have on hand right now. Atleast that is what I found that I can order. Or I can get Ligustrum sinense.

    I guess another way of me saying this, is Polyphemus Larvae feed on many plants such as oak, but there are so many species of oak that I don’t know which one I should purchase?

    Is there a possible way to search this? I have tried previously and had no luck, I’m just very nervous since I purchased a bunch of stock, thinking I have the correct plants, when I don’t. I just want to make sure I have the best food source for the species. 😅


    Thank you so much for your reply though! And helping I greatly appreciate it! I guess I should be searching what is native in my area too, it’s just so confusing sometimes cause there is sooo many species of plants I can choose from, and I just want to make sure I got the best of the best.

    • Posts: Best host plants to have on hand., Title: Breeding Butterflies: Experiences, Questions and Answers

    spontaneously i would say that ligustrum ovalifolium is to be preferred. maybe someone else can comment on l. japonicum - i have no knowledge here.

    i have just googled antheraea polyphemus. wikipedia gives ulmus americana, salix and betula as food plants. rather rarely quercus and therefore i would not go for quercus here. or only if i can provide the primary food plants if they don't start eating on oak. but i have no experience with the species.

    my recommendation: try out your plants in breeding, you have them now. and otherwise i would do it the other way round: read portraits of species that interest you. the search function here in the forum or wikipedia or literature will help. as soon as you have the information on the food plants of your favourites, see if you can get hold of them without any problems. and then: breed ( :

    • Posts: Best host plants to have on hand., Title: Breeding Butterflies: Experiences, Questions and Answers

    Try the Arbor society for inexpensive trees. They won't be big, but you can get a good variety that are meant for your area.

    My plant list- Privet, evergreen and deciduous, Willow, I like Salix babylonica, Cherry, any cherry , Sweetgum, Pine.

    I have others here as well, but they rarely get used.

    Raising caterpillars is a learning process, and what works for one person, may not work for you. What you want are pesticide free natural

    plants, when replanting, washing off the soil and using new soil might help if you are buying from a source that doesn't know if pesticides are used.

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