Fernando
Full Member
Learning...
Posts: 187
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Post by Fernando on Sept 28, 2011 5:42:01 GMT -8
Dear people,
Seems like my Syssphinx molina and Eacles imperiales are going to pupate already, but I have no previous experience rearing Ceratocampinae, so the question is: does the soil must have any special conditions in order for they to pupate? I mean, how "deep" must the soil be, has it to be humid or something, etc.
Thanks in advance for your help!
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Post by oehlkew on Sept 28, 2011 6:09:39 GMT -8
You do not need soil for either species.
If you put the mature larvae in small containers with paper towels on bottom, no soil, they will crawl under or between paper towels and will pupate there.
This makes it so much easier to store them as you will not have to unearth them.
They will sweat and shrink quite a bit, but this is natural.
You will know they are mature when they leave the foliage and start crawling around bottom of sleeve or cage or whatever enclosure you are using.
See Bill's Articles section of WLSS and click on
Earth Pupators: No Soil Needed!
Also see Citheronia regalis Tips in same section.
I use these techniques for all the Sphingidae and Ceratocampinae
I rear here on PEI.
Bill Oehlke
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Fernando
Full Member
Learning...
Posts: 187
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Post by Fernando on Sept 28, 2011 7:13:59 GMT -8
Thanks for the tip! I used papel towel before for my Polythysanas, but I didn't imagine it would work for Ceratocampinae as well. It will come in handy for my Adhemarius gannascus too.
By the way, I wish I had read that Citheronia regalis article before. Now I understand why only a few of my C. lobesis eggs hatched (I had them all confined in a small box). If I ever have the chance to rear Citheronias again, I'll follow those tips.
Thanks for your reply Bill, very useful as usual.
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