Posts by kevink

Well.

Something interesting has in fact happened.

I am waiting for the batteries to recharge, and will post a photo, as well as try

an image search.

A mystery moth appeared. Not a Saturniidae. Looks like a big Noctuid, with it's wings folded over the back.

All the cocoons look the same, with minor differences in color.

I have 10 lugardi cocoons I have had since Dec. of '23. I kept them in an unheated room around 70f, and dry.

About 3 weeks ago I moved them to a cage I use for high humidity and heat, which I cycle warm and wet conditions,

to attempt to replicate the weather in Kenya, easy to look it up, it's warm and wet this time of year.

Foodplant, I have a book which lists ceanothus as a foodplant. I think African flora is going to be difficult to locate.

I am hoping to see some moths any minute now... I'll post any interesting developments.

You might try artificial diet, I have diet I bought at Amazon for Hyles lineata, which they ate, but it is a labor intensive

endeavor, constant cleaning is the drawback.

Coincidence.

I keep , for the most part, all my adult moths in my studio apt., and they don't seem affected by anything other than the

passage of time, as it relates to day length. They will become active at different parts of the night, according to species habit.

Of course, lights are sometimes on until 11pm, but rarely later.

Some moths become active earlier in the evening, others later, seems like 3 am is the sweet spot for making fluttering noises

Even female moths in a bag will adhere to the same schedule as siblings on the "outside".

Mutations , or perhaps evolution may be in play. I raised a brood of Brahmaea wallichi this winter on Ligustrum japonica, 2 deformed pupa,

and one dwarf out of 16 larva. I am fairly certain the dwarf was caused by the failure of the larva to consume it's cast off skin at some point,

as to why 2 were deformed, all conditions were identical for all 16.

A batch of Rothschildia arethusa ova, laid by moths which spent a long time in their cocoons was nearly all infertile, I would attribute their

long diapause to suboptimal conditions, which may have contributed to the infertility.

I'll probably catch some disagreement. I am always skeptical of "inbreeding" as a cause of aberrations. Are the most successful

and numerous animals on the planet so susceptible to genetic crowding?

I think many abnormal specimens are just numbers, in that eventually, anything can happen in living systems. I am aware of that genetics

Diversity is best, but to attribute every anomaly to one cause doesn't sound very scientific.

I think it's more likely that environmental factors cause these things.. Cold shock. Lack of quality food. Temperature.

The problem I see with computer language is "assumption", in that when I bought the first desktop back in the mid 90's,

I'm expected to know what all these bizarre and inexplicable terms mean. The assumption is that because you use it, you should know,

I already had to learn new words to use the machine in the first place. Maybe I'm off topic, but there are a number of things I still

Have no idea how to do or what certain terms mean. And- and, you don't have to be stupid to have this stuff go over your head,

I'm not stupid, at least as far as I can tell or several other people believe.

Some of us are never going to eat insects. Period. Discussion is pointless.

Secondly, words like "cookies" "java" etc. mean what? To who? To me it means

chocolate chip discs that I dip in milk, the caffeinated water I drink in the morning,

or late at night.

Making sense would go a long way to helping people create things.

Thank you.

Luckily, I live on the coast, and things are just leafing out now, at least the early ones.

I've got the lilac, and the ovalifolium privet, as well as japonica.

A nice leafy evergreen would be helpful, preferably one I've got already.

Chance mating, by any measure. The stock is from a batch I bought in the spring of

2023, I had 2 females hatch last May, and nothing until a couple days ago. I tried all

the usual emergence triggers I could think of, and they decided to hatch in my cool room,

comparatively, to my normal 73f.

I have an unexpected pairing of arethusa, and while I have some of the listed food plants, it's still cold out. Has anyone had success with any

leafy evergreens?

alternatively, you could use a container like a petri dish and mist the top lid for humidity, I've hatched ova with extra humidity, and

without, it seems the same, although animals from moist climates probably benefit from the moisture, never put leaves in with ova,

it's like turning on the grow lights for seeds you just planted- a waste of resources and effort, and the leaves may give off carbon dioxide.

Room temperature has always been adequate as well.

I have hand paired Papilio polyxenes and Papilio macheon oregonia.

They were both similar in apparent parameters-

those being angle of copulation, time of day and age, as well as before and after feeding

For me, it seemed easier in the late morning before feeding, with animals more than 1 day old.

I was a first timer, at the start it seemed impossible, but after sticking with it, I managed to end up with too

many ova and larva. The butterflies need gently held and simply press the abdomens together while slightly

squeezing to expose the genitalia, at basically a straight on approach, rather than an angle.

All that being said, it's still something that takes patience and experience, which I still lack somewhat.

Argema mimosae can stay in the cocoon for a long time, I've had them hatch after 18 months. That's after I got them. Hatching for exotic

animals is an estimate in my opinion, my house is not Africa, or Thailand, so even doing my best, sometimes it's not good enough.

besides drying out and losing weight, they will also have a temperature change, in that if you hold a live pupa to your lips, it will feel

cold, and a dead one will feel warmer, or room temperature. This really does work.

You can always put the pupae back into their cocoons, that works as well.

Typically cocoons do not need opened. They have evolved to do what they do and don't need our help. However, I have had problems with Attacus

atlas exiting the cocoon, and sometimes a moth may get entangled in the threads around the exit, but it's rare.

I like to hang cocoons when possible from a branch, or a string strung across the emergence cage, when I can't hang them, I arrange the

cocoons or pupae around the bottom of a bare branch, or next to the cage side, as often as not, the moths will skip the branch and crawl

up the cage side, and sometimes hang upside down from the ceiling.

As far as your Rothschildia species, I haven't raised that one, but in the past, a period of cool and dry, followed by warmer and wetter

conditions have induced hatching, it doesn't always work though, I still have Rothschildia arethusa cocoons over a year old, 2 moths

Hatched soon after receipt, and the remaining 10 are still hanging around- literally.

I have the same situation. Along with that, the collection as well as most of the live material I keep from time to time is in my main room.

I use Bioquip cases, and they fit tight. However pests can get in one way or another.

Personally, I use moth crystal packets that I simply pin inside the cases so they don't move around.

There are other deterrents, some are more dangerous to be around like dichlorvos and some people

rely on natural things like cedar oils.

I can still smell the moth crystals at times, when I am close to the cabinets, but they are effective, however they

will slowly "evaporate" and need replaced periodically.

Here in the USA, moth crystal is still legal. I buy it at a variety store. I have never had a problem with mixing live

material and the cases, I've got larva going right now as well as an aging darkling beetle.

I have found that even ova will make it safe when sent from the EU to me here in the USA, during the winter, species like Actias isis and maenas

I'd guess that it can't be much different in for Japan,

and cocoons should be more suited to surviving any cold.

Hot glue might work for you.

An excellent choice, giving displays as gifts, all my relatives have multiple

displays...at least I sent them.

Pest control is a problem, I use Riker mounts myself, because it's easy, although

last year I used some nice shadow boxes with hinged lids.

Pests show up randomly- I have riker mounts in the house that are years old, and no

pests, and no chemicals either, and no pests get in or get interested, and in the same house

my tight fitting cases with moth crystals get pests.

UV is an issue, difficult to find uv resistant cases.

Many of my food plant trees are in containers. I have a number of tree species and use wooden containers I

Have built as well as manufactured pots.

The limiting factors are water, and as long as you water enough, plants will grow in anything, just like hydroponics,

wind is a problem, making sure things stay right side up can be a challenge.

Plants in containers take more care, but it can work, I chose containers because of the nature of my landscaping.

There are some advantages with containers, being more options for caging, or bringing the plants indoors.

Some species are regulated by photoperiods. Pieris rapae may need a diapause, I'm still seeing the butterflies

flying here, but a frost is still a month or more away. You may need fresh food plants, I have nasturtiums and they

have a lifespan regardless of the weather.

I wouldn't depend on "climate change" to be very reliable for much.

When you run out of the food plant you've been using, it's worth a try to give them whatever you have at hand.

One never knows if the larva will switch, or what they'll accept.

I finished a brood of Acherontia atropos on Olive after starting them on potato, and refusing everything other

alternate.

I have seen larva consume wilted and sere leaves, but they were L 5's and I wouldn't count on carrying any larva

very far on material like that.

Quote from hemariS

Where is a very unfriendly answer??? I do not find any.

VG

In my opinion some of the answers are clearly subjective. Everyone's experience will NOT be identical, or hasn't

anyone noticed that ? Personally, if I was going to teach students, beginners, of any age, and had no experience

myself, I'd look to a science related website that can provide a kit or some all in one package. Many lepidoptera

can be raised on artificial diet, and are suitable. Clearly issues with release or disposition of adults is another

matter. And dubernardi is easy, Except for mating.