Posts by kevink

Usually polyphemus will stay copulated until the next day, after pairing in the evening. I am sure there

are exceptions.

The mass laying sounds abnormal.

My guess would be any ova are probably not fertilized, from either female.

I always keep ova for at least 14 days, sometimes longer, or unless the ova collapse and shrink,

then that is a clear sign of infertility. Most Saturniidae hatch in 10 days, give or take, others can take

much longer.

Use a small container, don't put any leaves in with ova, I use a petri dish for ova and mist the top of the dish

periodically.

Lastly, it's getting late for caterpillars, especially outdoors.

A lot of interesting methods. I don't think there is 1 size fits all approach. Some plants simply wilt quicker

than others. I have problems with Salix babylonica and sometimes with Prunus serotina, I cut stems

at an angle and use plain tap water.

I've got willow in the house now, some of the leaves will probably be dry in the morning, and I just cut

that and put it in water. My Liquidambar lasts several days indoors in water, right next to the cage with the

willow. I use airy cages as well. Planning ahead can be helpful. Having plants small enough to bring indoors

is an option sometimes.

I don't know for certain. Many persons use the fridge because it's a controlled environment, but there are some

species that require colder temperatures than you're going to want in the fridge. I use my refrigerator for nearly

every temperate species, and it works fine.

If I was going to overwinter Graellsia isabellae again, I'd probably set the fridge as low as I dared and put the

cocoons in the coldest spot.

I've had Graellsia overwinter a 2nd time. I had two batches from very different locations, both stored in

the fridge. All of one batch emerged together, the 2nd batch remained and if I recall correctly the moths

that eventually hatched were weak or deformed.

My conclusion was that the temperature in the fridge was not cold enough, maybe, maybe not. Inbreeding

was not a factor considering my seller's sourcing.

If and hopefully when I try them again, I'll overwinter them at colder temperature, sometimes the top shelf

in the fridge will be colder in the back where the cold air comes out. It's either that or a different appliance if your

outdoor temps don't get snow.

Correcting people is pointless and in my opinion reflects on one's need for superiority.

I find being corrected incredibly annoying. given that at 59, I am content to be incorrect

at times, when I need advice, there is an option.

It is an interesting topic. I have read in a breeding book- Moths and How to Rear Them, Paul Villiard that

some species will accept and grow larger on a varied diet. It's up to the larva what they decide to feed on,

so if a person wanted to try that, there's little risk. I have not tried it myself.

Larva that don't want to switch will starve.

I've had to switch food plant with different species, the results can

be surprising. I've learned to try everything in the garden.

I have raised species which consume eucalyptus- those are hard stiff leaves,

the larva preferred older leaves to new tender ones. I believe that even "tough"

leaves can be consumed by hatchlings, because they simply nibble at the

leaf, rather than the more aggressive manners of larger larva.

Often new leaves contain toxins the larva avoid, depending on the plant species.

Chill out people. I collect for my own purposes. I use chemicals in daily life and in the hobby.

My various collections of insects, comic books, science books will go to family members most likely,

in any event, I am enjoying my efforts at the moment, and that's all that I care about. The future

can get bent.

That article must have been interesting. I have doubts that an adult moth or butterfly can remember being

a caterpillar. That sounds a bit like too much Zen to me.

The depositing of ova by the respective groups is interesting, butterflies taste with their feet and with few exceptions

only lay on food plant, some butterflies will drop ova near food plant, like Fritillaries. I have always wondered about

the random laying of ova by female moths, while we as breeders put a female moth in a sack to lay, there must

be something in nature that draws a female to the correct food plant, there are too many trees in the forest to

hope eggs make it to the right one. I have had Sphinx lay on food plant when given a suitable one, and that was

chosen over the sides of the enclosure, and recently I had Coloradia pandora do the same thing, depositing

only on the pine provided.

Overwintering temperate species is simple, I, and many others use the fridge, it's a controlled environment

and predator free. Moisture and air are not needed, although some will try to keep humidity up, I use wet sponges.

Your moths will either hatch, or overwinter, if they haven't hatched by the time the weather changes, I'd put them

in cool storage until spring.

Adult moths don't need many comforts. I use a large cage with a branch for hatching, although as often as not,

the moths will climb on the cage sides. The fewer objects in the cage, the less likely they'll be damaged if

they decide to fly about.

Once copulated, it is typical for breeders to put the female in a paper sack once they separate, make sure the top

is secure. This makes collecting ova easier, I often wait a couple nights, open the bag and gather the ova, I try

to leave ova on the paper by cutting around groupings with a scissors, one must be careful removing ova

from a solid surface like paper. unlike butterflies, most female moths don't require food plant to lay on.

if you have Actias luna cocoons, they may overwinter depending on the light length the larva were exposed

to, if you raised them outdoors, they'll probably overwinter at this point.

The larva will eventually pupate in an empty box if need be, but they clearly are using energy wandering

around.

The container you put mature larva in can make a difference, a square container may work better than a

circular shape, sometimes putting an object in the path of the larva will induce them to dig down into

your substrate.

Aren't the vapors enough? I recall using ammonia vapor in a science class to dispatch a nest a hornets.

I dump caterpillar droppings in my potted plants. What they have been fed on, I don't know if it makes any difference.

The only way a person could determine the chemical makeup would be to analyze respective droppings. that may be possible with a simple soil test kit.

To do a real study, you'd also need to have a side by side test for your plants. I haven't noticed any differences, but

I don't breed on a large scale, even though at times, I have large broods, and the droppings do add up in later

instars especially.

Hand pairing is not as easy as people would have a person think. Any video you see, has most likely been edited and

is not going to be the first attempt.

Different species have different angles of copulation and other mitigating factors.

Sometimes females don't call, what causes that is anyone's guess, unless their "answer" is inbreeding,

which is another rabbit hole of misconception.

I have seen other breeders use a plastic bottle to create a fake flower and then they hang that from the cage.

A red colored bottle was used and the bottom was cut off and cut into a star shape. Probably not much help,

I think the key was the color, and having the flower hanging above the cage floor.

Hand feeding is time consuming, for certain, even retired people get tired of it after a while

At Insectnet.com, there is a post in the Forum section under general topics, called "feeding butterflies" that

may help you.

I've caught polyphemus on evenings where low temps get into the mid 50's F.

They probably tolerate lower temps.

I assume you are separating the females, so the males don't get

confused by multiple females.

The one thing I have learned that is a constant, is that anything can happen

with living organisms.

I usually keep ova in a petri dish or deli cup and mist the top of the lid every few days.

You don't want to mist the eggs themselves.

Apparently, ova need little oxygen, although I poke a few holes in any tight fitting lid.

I have had Actias maenas females lay ova without ever calling, so it probably happens to other species, especially

exotics. In any event, if there is a question as to the moths having paired up, I save ova until they shrink up and

then some.

I missed seeing Actias dubernardi pair up, and I keep all my moths in the bedroom, I missed Agapema homogena

pair up and the eggs started hatching over 3 weeks later.

Missing seeing a copulation can be a problem if you want to sell ova, and sometimes foodplant can be a problem

when you end up with 150 baby caterpillars.

Your results may vary. Just because someone else had a particular experience, doesn't mean it will be that

way for everyone.

I have been told that mittrei ova take several weeks to hatch, I don't know about mimosae

It can be difficult. I keep a branch attached to a board in my emergence cages, at least part of the

time the subject will climb up on the branch, and can be moved.

You could make a cage with a background perhaps.

I have taken moths, native and exotics outdoors in a flight cage to the greenhouse

and once the door is closed, take them out, it depends on the species.

Some are more frantic than others.

I have had more than 1 specimen hatch and destroy itself in minutes after being disturbed,

so it happens to everyone. Not long ago, there was an Atlas moth in the local news,

possibly an escapee from a photo shoot.

There are less insects than there used to be I'm 58 and there has been a noticeable drop in numbers,

this has been discussed over at Insectnet, some people call it the "windshield" factor. There are less bugs

Hitting your windscreen in the car-

There are still a lot of bugs flying around, but not as many as when I was a kid.