Post by papilio28570 on Aug 11, 2012 13:35:33 GMT -8
It is easiest to collect eggs from a captured female and rear the larvae when they hatch. You MUST know what the adult eats. Many will accept ligustrum when all else fails except for the pine feeders.
I rear hatchlings in a sleeve on a living host plant. I place a bag made of netting material over a good sized branch and transfer the eggs to inside the bag and tie the bottom of the bag firmly. The eggs hatch and the larvae climb onto the food plant. I use a bag which normally attaches to a swimming pool leaf vacuum.
tinyurl.com/9ura3py
Be sure to ask for a fine mesh bag and not a large mesh bag. The bags come in different lengths, so shop around. The bags I use are about 1 meter long and I purchase them at a local swimming pool supply store.l
When the larvae are about half grown, I transfer them to a rearing cage and must bring food to them daily until they go to cocoon. The cut branches of food plant are placed in a large wide mouth jar. I then put gravel in the jar to hold the branches in place and add weight to the jar so it won't tip over. Then I fill the jar with water. The gravel also prevents the larvae from walking down the branch into the water and drowning themselves.
The rearing cages are generally 1 meter wide, 1 meter tall and 1/2 meter deep. They are a simple wood frame with screen sides and top. The bottom is exterior plywood and there is a cut-out in the floor to facilitate cleaning. I use a water hose to flush out the caterpillar droppings everyday , and the cut-out is covered with a plastic card when no cleaning is being done.
The back section of my yard is woodland and my rearing area is set up under some trees so the larvae don't overheat in mid summer. The cocoons remain outside in the cages during the pupa stage.
Cross breeding different species within the same genus is fairly simple and mating may take place with no hand pairing needed. Experimentation will be the best teacher.
Start with very common species. Good luck.
I rear hatchlings in a sleeve on a living host plant. I place a bag made of netting material over a good sized branch and transfer the eggs to inside the bag and tie the bottom of the bag firmly. The eggs hatch and the larvae climb onto the food plant. I use a bag which normally attaches to a swimming pool leaf vacuum.
tinyurl.com/9ura3py
Be sure to ask for a fine mesh bag and not a large mesh bag. The bags come in different lengths, so shop around. The bags I use are about 1 meter long and I purchase them at a local swimming pool supply store.l
When the larvae are about half grown, I transfer them to a rearing cage and must bring food to them daily until they go to cocoon. The cut branches of food plant are placed in a large wide mouth jar. I then put gravel in the jar to hold the branches in place and add weight to the jar so it won't tip over. Then I fill the jar with water. The gravel also prevents the larvae from walking down the branch into the water and drowning themselves.
The rearing cages are generally 1 meter wide, 1 meter tall and 1/2 meter deep. They are a simple wood frame with screen sides and top. The bottom is exterior plywood and there is a cut-out in the floor to facilitate cleaning. I use a water hose to flush out the caterpillar droppings everyday , and the cut-out is covered with a plastic card when no cleaning is being done.
The back section of my yard is woodland and my rearing area is set up under some trees so the larvae don't overheat in mid summer. The cocoons remain outside in the cages during the pupa stage.
Cross breeding different species within the same genus is fairly simple and mating may take place with no hand pairing needed. Experimentation will be the best teacher.
Start with very common species. Good luck.
