Exotic species

[Rich]

Exotic species

I have found that raising moths and butterflies from ova to adults and back to ova is a rewarding endeavor. There is a lot to learn, the right food plant, correct temperature and humidity, need for sunlight and much more. The live cycle can be short just a month from ova to adult or as long as two years or more. I have a couple questions for other breeders:

What was your most interesting and enjoyable Lepidoptera you have raised? Why?

If you could get your hands on a couple of those exotic species, what would you ask for and why?

[monasteria]

Raising butterflies is something I am not able to, but it is a very interesting field.  

There are most likely too many interesting species to list, but I think if I were able 
to raise butterflies, I would raise some of those many species which are threatened 
by tree loggers and the palm oil industry. 

[bluemoth]

I have reared many moths and butterflies. Hard to narrow all these down to a favorit. The most fasinating moth was a farly common species of spawn worm here in CA. As a pupa It would vibrate in the hand if disturbed. This vibration made an audible sound if you put your ear realy close to it in a quiet room. Another plus the pupa was as clear as glass and the forming moth could be seen within. The most fasinating butterfly I reared was the California tortishell - at least as a pupa. I would talk to them and they would all start wiggling. This was the most amasing and funyest thing I have seen. Well that is exsept for the Painted Lady that I reared once that kept wiggling its abdomen as if it was still a pupa. This made me laugh like crazy!

If I could rear any Butterfly in the world it would be the Bird Wing Butterflies. If I could rear any moth in the world it would be the Hercules Moth.

[Rich]

Here are a few I would like to raise: non-native Eochroa trimeni South Africa, Citheronia vogleri South America, Polythysana cineroscens and Polythysana rubrescens Chile, Graellsia isabelae Spain, Actias dubernardi China, Argema mittrei Madagascan and Argema mimosae Africa.

North America species: Hemileuca electra mojavensis, Hemileuca electra electra, Citheronia splendens sinaloensis and Hyalophora euryalus "rusty red ones" and a non silk moth Dysschema howardi.

All the above species are some of the most beautiful in my opinion.