Beiträge von Lagartas

Hello Everyone,

I have some some species that recently made their pupae/cocoon (for example S. pyri, A. tau) and since these require cold winters and the area I am temperatures in winter almost never get lower than 4C I was thinking of putting them in the fridge in a mix of soil and sphangum and change it about 2 in 2 weeks to avoid formation of mold/fungi and keep them with a certain wetness to do not dehydrate.

With this I have two questions which probably you guys could help me:

1. Is this method ok? Or do you think I should do it in other way?

2. Should I put them on the fridge right away or wait for September/October when the temperatures get lower and simulate like in the natural environment?

Thank you in advance

Cheers

Zitat von kevink

For species which spin cocoons, and overwinter, I keep them in the fridge, and some species can need temperatures lower

than 45 F, moisture is not needed, as for the most part, the cocoon is weather proof, and interestingly enough, and I've

read posts about the need for air if you put your cocoons in a container, the assertion is that pupa don't breathe, or

breathe very little and can be kept in an air tight container, personally, I err on caution and allow for air exchange and use

a wet sponge to keep humidity up, I keep my diapaused animals in the veggie crisper,

For burrowing larva, I let them burrow in a material like potting soil, and then dig them out several weeks after they burrow

in, a bucket will work fine, and it may be helpful to put a barrier, like a stick or rock next to the side of your burrowing

container to prevent the larva from simply going around in a circle, they run into the barrier and then burrow in, I also

put a lid on the container so it's dark. Once they have hardened, you can dig them up and treat them like a cocoon, some

people will lay their pupa on moist peat, all that is fine for natives, but for animals which experience wet and dry seasons,

it's different, and knowing weather patterns in the origin country is helpful. I check the livestock often enough, especially

since they are in the fridge and that's where I keep the milk-

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Hi

Thanks for your feedback! I have a question regarding your answer:

For cocoons made of silk (for example S. pavoniella) leaving the cocoon in the fridge is safe? Won’t it dry up due the constant cold? No need to spray it?

Really interesting my biggest concern is to the cocoon dry up if I leave it outdoors in cold (in a Tupperware for example)

Zitat von vancvrman

For the longer term storage of the pupae of burrowing caterpillars I highly recommend storing the pupae in damp coconut coir.

Hii! Thank you!

When you say damp you mean constantly wet? Or spray it from time to time?

Hello everyone!

I have always reared mostly species which pupae would only last between weeks to few months, which in my opinion, most of them didn’t need much effort to store them (I usually just let them be and when time comes they hatched).

However, when it comes to Lepidoptera, as well all know, there is a lot of different ways of pupating (from buring deep in the substrate to only in the surface, between leafs or in a silk cocoon for example) and of course some pupae get into diapause/aestivation and hatch in the winter or spend all winter in their pupae and hatch the following year (or even in 2-8 years).

There being said, since I don’t have so much experience with these, and I have already some current larvae that will end up Aestivate (P. populi) and Hibernate (S. pavoniella) for example I would like to kindly ask you if you guys with experience, some tips about how to keep them (which soil works best or material, which temperature or location (for example outside, in a warm/not so cold location indoors, etc) and the better way to keep them without dry out/make it mold (if would be best to spray them/ have some sort of water nearby to produce humity, water them, etcetc).

There is not much information about this matter, and I have tried to look for it in the forum (Forgive me if there is an actual post for this, I tried to search before posting and I didn’t find it, just some specific ones and not general) and I believe it would also help new comers and less experienced people to learn more about this matter!

I would love to read your feedback and tips (feel free to add pictures if you would like to)

Thank you all in advance

I hope this was just an accident and not actually someone trying to release these in the wild! Even the most insignificant animal released in the wild could have a big impact in the ecosystem!

Zitat von Klaas

That should be cold enough. Maybe they were kept too dry.

Hope is the last to die 🥺 I will let you know if they hatch! I hope I didn’t wasye 150+ eggs

Zitat von Klaas

Room temperature is warm enough. What were the temperatures during the winter?

I would say 4-8ºC, some days were near 0

Zitat von Lepidopterix

Buenas tardes,

I would suggest to increase humidity, i.e., to keep the eggs in a moderately moist environment. However, the container should be thoroughly aerated, otherwise the danger of developing moulds is given.

PS: Were the eggs exposed to some humidity during hibernation? If not, they may have dried out...

Best regards,

hello!

The eggs were kept outside which there is some sort of humidity (I live in Catalonia and here there is always humidity)… However since they were a bit closed (not totally) they might have been dried out? I forgot to mention that 1 month ago there was a dead larvae inside the petri dish where the eggs are (early comer or the only egg that didn’t dried out?)

Zitat von Klaas

Lemonia dumi is very easy to breed, in all stages. In spring, the eggs usually hatch within 5-12 days (kept at room temperature).

maybe room temperature is still cold? I don’t put the heater inside home so probably they need more temperature?

Hi everyone!

I have 150+ Lemonia dumi eggs (from different breeders, they are F0 ) and they spent the whole winter outside home in cold temperatures.

3 weeks back (+\-) I have put the eggs inside to trigger their hatching (they are at room temperature)… as far as today, none of them hatched so I am concerned. Is it possible all 150 eggs died? They looked all fertile when I got them or is it normal to take a lot to hatch?

Is there any trick or do I have to do any other procedure to make them hatch?

I would like to read some feedback and experiences

P.S- I know that the most complicated part of this species is the pupal stage, if anyone replying would want to share about this too, it is welcome (there are also some threads about this on Actias)

Thank you all in advance

Zitat von Prem63

Hi David. There is list of foodplants given in the website moths of India. May be try Berberis.

Best wishes Prem

hi Prem! Thank you so much! I am looking for some that are on this list

Zitat von Paul Li

maybe cut the leaves so they can smell the foodplants, that's what I did with eucalyptus and they only ate the cut leaves. maybe that is worth a try

hi Paul! Thanks for your feedback! I will try this method kind regards

Zitat von Schnägge

This has nothing to do with the quality of the feed. Rather, the material currently in circulation are animals from Vietnam.

These refuse many offered feed plants. I myself had my problems with this.

What works absolutely with this breeding strain is oak and Liquidambar. Maybe Pistacia is still an option?

I see! Maybe it is genetics or else! This is very interesting!

Right now I cannot find any Liquidambar with leaves (they are starting to get them so I must not cut them so later I can use them when they are bigger).

Nevertheless They accepted a Quercus ilex (fresh leaves the old ones they do not bite) so I will try to feed them with that untill I have Liquidambar with bigger leaves and try the Eucalyptus method above!

Tomorrow I will also try Pistacia and see the results thank you so much

Zitat von Motte77

I reared Trabala very successful on Liquidamber only. They did not eat rubus or eucalyptus ( any species)or rhododendron just Liquidamber. From my experience I would only breed them in June and summermonth when Liquidamber is available.

Greetings

just for curiosity (I forgot to ask) , why new generations are rejecting Rhododendron and some others?

Zitat von Motte77

I reared Trabala very successful on Liquidamber only. They did not eat rubus or eucalyptus ( any species)or rhododendron just Liquidamber. From my experience I would only breed them in June and summermonth when Liquidamber is available.

Greetings

thank you! In case this won’t work I will look first for Liquidamber and when I get it I will get more

Zitat von Freund der Natur

Hello David,

Maybe try Liquidambar. In the Winter difficult, but in summer I don’t have any problems with them.

Best regards

Bela

thank you for your feed back! Right now I believe it is almost impossible to find this tree with leaves (Well probably they are starting to give the first leaves, I will try to find it but almost imposible I must say)

Zitat von Franz Ziereis

Rhododendron

I tried this last time and no success 😭 thank you for your feedback

Zitat von Schnägge

unfortunately, this does not work with the current breeding strain - I have tried it myself.

At the moment, evergreen oak is probably the best option.

I believe after all the options the only that’s left is Quercus ( I believe Q. ilex I have nearby right now). Thank you for your feedback! It is just frustrating that I tried probably all the food that is described for them available (I even gave fresh leaves of Coffee plant that I have and nothing)…

Hi everyone!

It is the third time I try to raise this species (Trabala vishnou) With no success.

they recently emerged from eggs and just like the other two times they are not accepting any food.

I got Eucaliptus gunii as the breeder told me their parents fed on them, and even with fresh and tender leaves they do not bite them at all!

I have also got Populus (they are starting to get the leaves) and Bramble (Rubus sp).

Previously I tried with Rosa and Quercus sober as well!

Do you have any tips? What am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance