Fernando
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Post by Fernando on Sept 24, 2012 14:40:28 GMT -8
Well, I just wanted to share this curious event I've just witnessed (I can't say I am an expert rearing saturniids, but I do have some experience, and this had never happened to me before): one A. luna larva was eating other alive! I separated them, and though the "eaten" one is still alive, I don't think it's gonna make it.
My hypothesis goes as follows: the "eater" had just moulted (L5), so maybe it thought the other larvae, which was considerably smaller, was its recently shed skin and started to chew it. Is that possible?
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Post by papilio28570 on Sept 24, 2012 18:54:25 GMT -8
Perhaps a lack of adequate food plant? I have witnessed Tomato Hornworm larvae (Manduca quinquemaculata) cannibalizing due to lack of food. A friend gave me about 20 in a paper bag which had some food plant in it. I didn't arrive home until well past midnight and decided to leave them in the bag overnight. In the morning all the food plant was gone, including stalks and only 5 larvae were left. The other 15 or so had been devoured.
I have also seen 4th instar Antheraea polyphemus larvae eating new hatchlings.
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Fernando
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Post by Fernando on Sept 25, 2012 4:15:32 GMT -8
I'm giving them Quercus. Most of them are in L5 now, and they've been eating this since they hatched, so I guess the foodplant is fine. Well, anyway, at least now I know that this isn't as uncommon as I thought in first place  |
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Post by admin on Sept 25, 2012 18:14:40 GMT -8
I've seen this happen with a group of Papilio rutulus larvae I was rearing in close quarters. I didn't actually see the dirty deed, but the number of larvae kept getting smaller and smaller with no dead bodies left behind! This also has happened with Anthocharis sara larvae I was rearing. You have to separate those species while rearing in the early instars apparently. It's a big pain.
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Fernando
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Post by Fernando on Sept 28, 2012 5:23:17 GMT -8
I've seen this happen with a group of Papilio rutulus larvae I was rearing in close quarters. I didn't actually see the dirty deed, but the number of larvae kept getting smaller and smaller with no dead bodies left behind! This also has happened with Anthocharis sara larvae I was rearing. You have to separate those species while rearing in the early instars apparently. It's a big pain.  So that means they ate even the "head shell" (sorry, don't know the technical name)? |
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Post by papilio28570 on Sept 30, 2012 6:47:40 GMT -8
Yes, head to butt.
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So that means they ate even the "head shell" (sorry, don't know the technical name)?