Beiträge von Giacomoaksnes

Zitat von José A.

In captivity I have raised several generations with Quercus ilex without any problem, it was a strain from China.

Thanks! Did you used only soft leaves?

Helllo guys,

I hope you are surviving with these abnormal hot days.

I discovered that Antherea pernyi is naturalized in some parts of Europe.

The only data i found are about Balearic Island.

How did they come there?

Which plants they feed on there?

Maybe Holm Oak ( Quercus ilex) ? or Quercus coccifera?

I tried to use Holm Oak in captivity but with poor results and an higher mortality compared to that ones feeding on Quercus robur, despite the last one here in northern Italy are all sick due to parasitic fungi like powder midlew ( due to drought-stress)

Have you ever used Quercus ilex or evergreen oaks to feed you Antheraea? Have you some suggestions like using only soft-spring leaves ( but, in winter)?

Thank you,

Have a fresh day

Giacomo

Hi Rudy, thank you so much.

How do you blind them? May you have a pic for example ?

thanks

Giacomo

Hello guys,

I'm reading all that and it's very interesting beacuse i'm trying the same as you.

i'm not living in Germany( unfortunately), i live in northern italy along the northern appeninies.

I tried to call some male of Acherontia, Mimas and Smerinthus without success. I read that for the big hawks ( Like ligustri and acherontia) an idea is to tie them with a wire or something like that withput damage them. Should we rest there till all night? or we can also go away and return in the morning?

And for the little ones like Mimas or Laothoe we maybe put them in a bird cage where they can't escape but a male can copulate them. What do you think?

Greetings

Good question

In my opinion the best one is Common privet ( Ligustrum vulgare) but it's not evergreen everywhere.

Here in North Italy where the temperatures can be -7 -8 it's deciduous.

I had good results with tree-privet ( Ligustrum lucidum), but it's not common there in Germany.

Ovalifolium will be fine !

Giacomo

thank you Andrè. Very kind!

Hi guys!

I'd like to know more about this species.

On google it's known that it's from China and Thailand.

[Blockierte Grafik: https://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/TaxBrowser_Maps_CollectionSites?taxid=109533]

but there's nothing about their biology!

What do they eat in nature?

In captivity i heard about Weeping willow ( Salix babylonica) and american sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua).

I also know from the buyer ( thanks again, Carl!) that we can keep at 5-13C the eggs in winter so we can prolungate the hatching time.

Do you know other tips? Or something about this species?

Thanks

Giacomo

Hello guys,

I'm trying to raise Argema mimosae, but they don't seem to like any winter host plant. I tried Eucalyptus gunnii and Acacia dealbata.

Some of them died the 2nd day they hatched, and the rest seem to survive but I don't see any excrements.

I keep them in a plastic box with high humidity at room temperature.

Here's some pics.

Thanks

Giacomo

Amira,

which host plant are you using now? it doesn't seem a Prunus laurocerasus.

What's their best host plant during this season? Rhododendron?

it's not easy to grow ( it prefer acid soils), may Prunus laurocerasus be a good option?

Hello Martin!

A better laying plant is olive tree or a Solanum!

Is this moment you can find Solanum pseudocapsicum

Remember to keep them warm, like 20-25C.

A book you can buy to learn more about them is : Sphingidae of western paleartic by Pittaway.

Good Luck.

Giacomo

Hello guys,

I'm asking you some advices about which species i can plant in my garden ( Northern Appennines, italy) in order to attract some moths!

Which are the best plants?

I have some seeds of Phlox, Datura, Brugmansia, Ipomea and Convolvulus, Solanum dulcamara and some plants of Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum vulgare, Buddleja, Viburnum opulus, Liliac and bird cherry.

i was thinking about Fuchisa

Greetings

Giacomo

Zitat von Rudi

But maybe Prunus mahaleb, which could be nativ in your area, will work also. But I had never test it in the past.
Prunus padus is a really good foodplant for many caterpillars of different specis. These plant prefer places with more water in the ground.

Yes, Prunus padus requires more water than others Prunus, but it's fine, i can manege it, Prunus mahaleb is native in here, but as Prunus padus

Zitat von Rudi

Hi Giacomo

That´s also true.But the leaves of Juglans nigra are softer than from Juglans regia. Maybe they will dry faster than the regia-leaves. And Juglans regia could be native in your area also

Yes i know that, Juglans nigra's leaves are softer, but if caterpillars will eat it faster than regia's, there's no problem, anyway i can put the caterpillars in the tree protected with a net!

Juglans regia is not native in here .

Greetings,

Giacomo

why these?

Hi guys,

in the region i live, there's the possibility to got some trees for free ( Italy, Emilia romagna), almost 100!

And, i think to got also some trees that can be useful to my studies about moths, in particular some non-invasive host plants, especially that ones that they feed in nature.

The first is Prunus padus ( the Bird cherry); i heard about that it can be very very useful to feed Smerinthus, instead of willows, it withers very slowly than willows!
And, it's an Europea species.

The another one is Juglans nigra ( Black walnut), an American species. I think it's the species of walnut that Actias luna feed in nature, right?

Thank you,

Giacomo
[Blockierte Grafik: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Illustration_Prunus_avium0.jpg/1200px-Illustration_Prunus_avium0.jpg] 

yes, i think it's the better choice if possibile; pupae and adults receive natural amount of light and temperature

Hi guys!

I've some Smerinthus planus pupae outisde, in a vase with soil and elm leaves.
Yesterday a couple hatched and now there's a thunderstorm.
The netting cage is very big ( 2m x 1.80m) and inside there's only 3 plants in a vase ( a portulaca, a vinca and an euphorbia). I also put come cherry barck in order to protect them in these rainy days.

Do you think that it's better to put them inside? or it's fine to keep them outside?
I live in North Italy
.

Hi guys, Anyone knows if A.pernyi eat downy oak ( Q.pubescens)?

In the book i used ( A guide to breeding tropical silk moth by Meister) it's not mentioned, but i noticed that they accept it.

Another question is about their life in wild, what's their natural distribution?
I saw so many observation on iNaturalist of them, but i'm not sure that they're really 100% A.pernyi.
I also saw that they are introduced in Balears.

thank you!

thank you!
Sure i'll do!

okok, i'll try to do like that! thank you