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Post by timmsyrj on Aug 29, 2016 11:13:23 GMT -8
An update on these Canary Island large whites, firstly I have found that the larvae accept the leafs of horse radish (Armoracia sp.) secondly it is easy to see why these are found all year long in there native habitat, from the 13 adults I had flying, the last female died a couple of days ago I have loads of their offspring in various stages of development from a few egg batches still to hatch, through hundreds of caterpillars at various stages of development and a couple in the pre pupae stage this evening, as it's still August I should get at least another batch from the greenhouse, especially now I have another food source.
Rich
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 13:29:27 GMT -8
You have had great success with those.
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Post by timmsyrj on Aug 30, 2016 6:12:23 GMT -8
Soon the harvest of specimens for the collection will begin and hopefully another generation, I have been trying alternative food sources and the horse radish leaves are great.
Looking forward to next year and trying some different species, especially double or multi brooded species.
Rich
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Post by Zacatak on Aug 31, 2016 2:26:02 GMT -8
In the flight cage (butterfly house) at the moment Vanessa gonerilla coming out of hibernation from our winter that is soon to end and just a couple of hours, September is our Spring here in New Zealand. Attachments:
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Post by luehdorf on Aug 31, 2016 13:08:22 GMT -8
The Vanessa gonerilla looks amazing! Very beautiful Vanessa species. How many of them are you rearing in this generation?
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Post by Zacatak on Aug 31, 2016 15:56:02 GMT -8
Luehdorf I have about 12 adults that I collected these before winter so no generations produced yet, but that begins now. they should begin to lay eggs now that Spring is finally here. Many other species will be the wing soon too
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Post by luehdorf on Sept 1, 2016 7:31:29 GMT -8
@zacatak, this sounds great. Which plant are you rearing them on? Urtica ferox? Do you have any experience on trying to rear them on European urtica plants like
urtica dioica or urtica urens? I would be really interested in that. Is Vanessa gonerilla laying its eggs seperately like the European Admiral or differently?
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Post by Zacatak on Sept 3, 2016 1:48:31 GMT -8
@zacatak, this sounds great. Which plant are you rearing them on? Urtica ferox? Do you have any experience on trying to rear them on European urtica plants like urtica dioica or urtica urens? I would be really interested in that. Is Vanessa gonerilla laying its eggs seperately like the European Admiral or differently? Luehdorf, I use Urtica ferox, this is quite a nasty species and it has in history killed people and animals. It's listed in world record books as the worlds most lethal stinging plant. I grow it out the back of my place where I need it for raising the larvae. They will accept all urtica species, and I do usually find eggs or larvae on some of the European species. But to make sure they are Vanessa gonerilla it's best to find on their original host urtica ferox, because here we have Vanessa itea, and they utilise the same plants. Surprisingly I have in recent years found Vanessa itea feeding on urtica ferox (which is unusual) as they don't normally utilise this as a host. The eggs of Vanessa gonerilla are laid singly on leaves on the the stinging hairs, usually underside of the leaf, but can be deposited on top too. Usually 1 egg is laid, Vanessa itea I have come across 2-3 stuck together. |
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Post by luehdorf on Sept 7, 2016 3:30:56 GMT -8
@zacatak that sounds really interesting, must be not the nicest project to rear caterpillars on such a nasty plant. Is Vanessa gonerilla still a common butterfly in New Zealand? I hope one day I will have the time to come to New Zealand and see them myself.
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Post by Zacatak on Sept 9, 2016 2:32:28 GMT -8
Luehdorf: Vanessa gonerilla used to be very common here, it still is in some areas out of the city. But these days they are getting rarer to see like most species now. Vanessa gonerilla is a sight to behold, I guess you don't appreciate as much the species you have around you compared to what others around the world get to experience.
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Post by timmsyrj on Sept 9, 2016 3:08:18 GMT -8
We used to get both Vanessa gonerilla and itea livestock here in the U.K a few years back and they fed on the common nettle seen everywhere around here, not noticed either species available recently though.
You never really appreciate what's around you, I am the same with local British species, always looking for the more colourful foreign species.
New Zealand has some beautiful species of copper butterflies.
Rich
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robert61
Full Member
Posts: 184
Country: GERMANY
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Post by robert61 on Oct 26, 2016 8:57:12 GMT -8
Worldwide Butterflies(UK) used to offer few years ago Vanessa gonerilla and I bred 3 Generations per year with any Urticae you could find on the fields in Germany. It is very easy to get them laying eggs, usually it took up to 3 weeks till they startet mating but they came from alone to the sugar water and I put potted Urticae in the Cage and all in the full sun but you Need to take care that a part of the Cage is in the shadow.
Now I have the 4th Generation of Nepalese Aglais kaschmierensis .
Robert
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Post by timmsyrj on Oct 28, 2016 5:29:08 GMT -8
As I've said earlier in this thread, I resisted the temptation to set the original 13 adults in the hope I would be rewarded with a larger series of variable specimens.. Well....    Plus probably another box worth still on the boards and a few just emerging in the greenhouse, if we don't get a frost they might lay more eggs in a week or so, nectar plants are not easy to find though. Spot the ABB ! Rich |
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Post by timmsyrj on Oct 28, 2016 5:43:50 GMT -8
The ABB..  I thought this was rather unique, untill another popped out with the ABB on the opposite hindwing and today another, less extreme specimen emerged. Rich |
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Post by africaone on Oct 28, 2016 9:48:13 GMT -8
The ABB.. View AttachmentI thought this was rather unique, untill another popped out with the ABB on the opposite hindwing and today another, less extreme specimen emerged. Rich I have yet seen a biparty aberration, one side with a form and another side with the other form like a biparty gynandro with forms that replaces the sex). Absolutely exceptional (unfortunetely I didnt take photo but may be it has been published) it was an Hypolimnas in hand of Jacques Hecq. |
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