Posts by tondo93

Hi,

perfect! I'm happy that it worked great for you! Well done!

Best regards,
Fabio

Hi, it is not crazy. Many people do what you write during winter.
About your question, 3 months are enough to brake the diapause period. So try 3-4 months in the fridge and then take them out

Many thanks @Rudi

Which others Erupean butterfly is protected except the ones in CITES?

Hi Hans,

Many many thanks. Your identification is correct.

Best regards,
Fabio

Hi to all, I have seen this today 28 July in Rimini, Italy at about 200 meters from beach. Wingspan should be about 70-90 mm.
What specie is that?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Fabio

Many thanks guys, it seems that it is right identification! They are spinning their cocoons right now.

Best regards,
Fabio

Hi to everyone,

yesterday during a collection of chestnuts in Marradi (FI) I found these two caterpillars on the ground, what specie is?

[Blocked Image: http://i41.tinypic.com/2nbr11g.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i40.tinypic.com/10ek4rc.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i44.tinypic.com/2ztdop0.jpg]

Very good report !
What you mean with "Wesson's salt mix"? is it the normal NaCl that we use in kitchen for the food?
And what about cholesterol? What do you use?

Fabio.

Hi friends,

In which cage have you obtained a pairing of Actias maenas? And in what conditions (temperature, humidity about)?

I know that it is a good food plant for this Actias. I have never tryed but many people said that they use it and it work good.

Fabio.

I think that 5-8°C are good. my cocoons are 5°C and they are good (they have been in the fridge for a month and yesterday one cocoon that I controlled was still alive so they can go in diapause). I read in this forum about a person that said that the cocons of that specie is cold resistance (they can stay until -8°C) but I don't remeber the name of the discussion.

Fabio.

with those temperature, the cocoons are OK. with this temperature (min 15°C) the cocoons is in a kind of diapause period. if you want to continue the breeding with the cocoons hatch you have to use a heat source. the temperature have to be on 25-30°C not over. if you use a heat source you have also to spray more often the cocons with water. 1-2 times a day with an heat source.

at your temperature the cocoons won't die but they won't hatch in great number.

so the humidity is OK but your temperature are a little low to have new adults

Best regards, Fabio.

in Attacus atlas you can see the sex of the pupae from the antennas (because they are different in the female and in the male) and from the segments. I said that in all moth the method to see the antennas is wrong because there are many moth where the antennas are the same in males and in females because them are thin both in females and in males and in this case the only right method to know the sex is to see the abdominal segment.

I only said you that the correct method is to see the abdominal segment but if there are any different of the size in the antennas you can try to know the sex from them.

Best regards, Fabio.

Quote from soil74

Nope. The correct way to determine the gender of a pupa (this is the singular, not pupae!) has been described several times in this forum. Please use the search app. 3 free abdominal rings is girl, 4 is boy. Look for Geschlecht Puppen or something like this, for example here . -The size of the antennas is no appropriate parameter in terms of determination of gender.

Yes, in Attacus atlas the method of Granarius is right but in all the moth the correct method to determinated the sex of the pupae is that of soil74

the fat pupae is so because it was formed so. the moth will emerge normally. we said about that it is a bit dehydrated because the segment are nearer than in the normal pupae.

I think that the creases in the segments will not disappear but sprayed them often you help the pupae to dehydrate it less.

but if you spray more them you will have more probability that the moth will emerge earlier. so spray them 2-3 times a week or more often if you keep them in a room with high temperature. if you want that the moths will hatch early, it is all right.

Best regards, Fabio.

Yes in my opinion the last pupae is a bit dehydrated (the big pupae). the advice is right: spray them often.

Best regards, Fabio.

Hy,

the last photo is a female. in the first photo there are 2 male (on the right) and a female on the left.

Best regards, Fabio.

yes, I think that it is natural that not the 100% of the caterpillar gow well. but if on 22, only 3 are so, it is a good result, I think.

Excuse me but I have understood that your caterpillar stop to eat only and they were slow to eat.

now I have separeted my caterpillar. in a cage all of them in L5 and in another cage all L4.

Best regards, Fabio.