Posts by kevink

I raised this species on eucalptus gunni, you are in a bad way trying to switch foodplant. Good luck, when I raised mine I had hopes of breeding, but the females hatched and started laying ova without calling.

In any event, you have nothing to lose by trying everything you can find that's going to last another 4 weeks or so by the looks of those larva.

Trimming leaves and tricking them into drinking water may work to get them eating, although you may end up simply dragging out the inevitable, I've had larva nibble for weeks and eventually expire on something they didn't care for.

Over wintering butterflies will probably only work if the butterflies are allowed to go in to hibernation naturally.

I tried over wintering Nymphalis antiopa that were fairly freshly hatched, having raised them, I fed them and then

put them in envelopes and stored them in the fridge, all expired. Later I was told by the seller that the butterflies need to

go into hibernation naturally, how you could do that with captives might be difficult. If I tried it again, I'd use an outdoor cage and

leave them there at least until it was cold enough to move them, better still, would be to leave them .

Artificial diet is common for Painted lady, it is sold at a number of sites. Many websites sell kits for students using the Painted lady.

My only negative experince with artificial diet is cleaning the frass from larva, the other choice is to grow foodplant under lights

If it's natural conditions you are wondering about, it's already too late.

Citheronia regalis is a mid summer flier, the moths are just starting to fly and I am seeing

offers for ova on Insectnet. Day length is a factor raising any animal, if it makes a difference with

every species, I don't know.

There won't be any wild regalis larva burrowing in anytime soon.

I think I know who you are referring to, I'm surprised this individual is still operating. Apparently only from the web site, because I don't see his ads here or on Insectnet anymore. In my opinion, this seller is a pyramid scheme who collets your money and then goes to some other seller.

I had a miserable experience with a pyramid seller, when I finally got a package, it was the only one in 5 years ever to be opened by customs, because my instructions were not followed. The box, by the way was empty and the material destroyed, I got a form letter from customs.

That's my answer as well. Try the mist, I have also read that trimming leaf edges will entice them to eat, I haven't seen it work,but apparently someone had.

My experience, the dark doesn't matter, it'll get dark in the evening on it's own.

When I have had larva that need choices, I put them in with the various plants and let them choose.

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.

There is a guide book, Foodplants of World Saturniidae, Stephen Stone published in 1991 by the Lepidopterist's Society,

that lists moth species, plant species, and uses a reference system allowing a person to search in exactly the manner of your question,

for example- search for Hedera helix and there will be a list of moths(at the time) known to accept it, common names for trees are

included when known. Might be a hard one to track down, but it's been a good tool for me, although the acceptance of a plant, doesn't mean

it'll produce an adult, still, a good reference book, and one many people might not be aware of.

Unfortunately, at the time of printing, apparently no Saturniidae species were known to accept Hedera. Otherwise, I'd have listed any.

I concur with David,

I have had similar issues with Hyalophora species, although they often die in L3, sometimes they'll go longer.

I have used disinfectant for poultry with some success, but prevention is a better choice. I would have

to guess that hygiene is the issue as well, typically the entire brood is a loss.

Antherina suraka- maybe. I tried them one season and only produced a single adult, the larva weakened, died,

from something similar to the malady being discussed, but I also live in a coastal climate with cool summers, as

compared to what you might expect inland.

Only mendicino is found in Oregon. I use a site called PNW Pacific Northwest Moths for help sometimes.

My hatchings were indoors, data from the PNW site, April is peak flight, although there is some variation with locality.

I have never observed the moth in the wild, many years ago I was gifted some Saturnia mendicino ova, but I've never seen

them offered. Actually, there is a dusting of snow outside right now, from me, Florence is about 80 miles south. Brookings is the spot to go,

or inland a bit towards Itsy bitsy towns like Ruch, I've been kicking around a collecting trip, but it's a long drive for such hard to find moths,

although if you don't go, you definitely won't find any.

Wetter than the Oregon coast? Interesting. I kept my cocoons of the Saturnia outdoors in a small cage with a cover so they wouldn't drown, and brought them indoors in the early spring, I never did get any pairings, but was really only interested in specimens. We get cold weather as well, especially in January and Febuary with occasional snow in March, but it never stays cold,I am right on the ocean in mid-Oregon. My guess is it's temperature that is going to trigger emergence, and being small moths, they probably don't take long.

Unfortunately, the only data I have is when the moths hatched- not when I brought them indoors, presumably sometime in Feb. in any event, I had an eclosion on 2-28 female, 2-29male, and a second male on March 1

I have no idea how to proceed if I was you, I suppose I would set the larger stock out maybe a week or 2 before the smaller.

good luck!

I live on the Pacifici coast of the USA, I am pretty sure that Saturnia walterorum is a native of southern California, and probably never sees any frost. The year I tried this species, I kept them outdoors on the Oregon coast, quite a bit further north, but we see very few frosts as well. If they survived your winter, they should emerge fairly early in spring.

My insight- someone has misinformed you about how to keep Saturnia walterorum.

I've raised dubernardi several times, the most recently, about 130 I reared indoors on Pinus contorta, for pupating,

I place the larva in a plastic box filled with dried sterile sphagnum moos, the larva formed perfect egg shaped cocoons.

What is that you are feeding them? It looks like fir. I have rear that dubernardi will accept fir, but I'm not trying it. Their natural food is

pine. Actias dubernardi is one of the easiest species I have ever raised, except for pairing. Whatever happened sounds like a new issue that

I haven't read about before, I'm waiting for someone to blame inbreeding for one of the most likely inbred species around.(eyeroll)

First I have read about a breeding agreement. Is it a government thing, or between individuals?

Sounds dicey unless it's some legal requirement.

A new development. It's something I have noticed before with extended stay in the cocoon animals. They are in a hurry

apparently, and begin to lay ova almost immediately. My female laid a few ova, which, in my experience means zero chance of

mating, even if I had a male, now maybe it's possible to hand pair such females, but I don't know. I'm not lumping in the

species which can overwinter more than once, that's a different thing.

This issue, could be worthy of it's own post, I would suppose this has happened to other individuals and would be

interested in any comments. So, the only positive, if one could call it that, is that I will have an undamaged specimen.

Well, what a difference a day or so can make.

I'll get a picture later and try to get it posted, but- I have a Epiphora lugardi adult having hatched over night.

It's still getting light here, and I don't see a reason to rush upsetting the cage, it remains unsexed as of yet.

In any event, after over a year, and with a renewed hope from Thomas's post, I gave the cocoons some more moisture and heat yesterday,

and presto!

The moth is a female. I can see that she is calling, perhaps an interesting coincidence that the moth Thomas had hatch is female

as well, I believe it's males that are supposed to hatch first. It does create some possibilities however. Specimens are my primary

goal, and breeding secondary, only because breeding is not a given, and waiting for a second moth can be a mistake sometimes.

Nice that someone had a hatching. My cocoons are still unhatched, soon I will probably open one and see what goes on.

It's pretty clear that the hatching issue with some of the exotics is why you aren't seeing ova offered as often as the diapaused material.

Not for lack of trying, but apparently I am not trying the correct thing. The wall heater and humidifier I have in the cage not doing much

good at all.

They should be ok. You could use tissue to make a cocoon , or I've used empty cocoons before for bare pupa, but if the

moths are going to hatch, they should do so without extra care.

How long were the larva in the mail?

I think normally only L1 and 2 are posted. There could have been some shipping trauma, as well as food

plant differences, even if they fed. Maybe the ones that perished were weaker.

Shipping larva has got to be somewhat problematic, anything could have happened.

I think there is a dubernardi breeder in Canada that's been posting lately on Insectnet

if you want to try importing, I've bought from the individual before and all was ok.