leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 8, 2016 15:47:07 GMT -8
Why do you rear? Do you want perfect specimens? Do you want to learn their life cycle/history? Or both?
Or do you have some other reason?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 17:26:20 GMT -8
I reared a monarch so my 9 year old could watch the life cycle and then got to release the fresh perfect specimen while I was powerless and had to watch it fly away as I was forbidden to collect it.
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Post by wingedwishes on Sept 8, 2016 18:54:52 GMT -8
Simply, to make money. I know some will not like me for it but there it is.
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Post by beetlehorn on Sept 8, 2016 21:06:11 GMT -8
For me personally there have been a number of different reasons. I only rear a species, no matter if it is Lepidoptera or Coleoptera, if I am genuinely interested in it. There is usually something unique about it that sparks my interest, and I want to either get more specimens for my collection, or I just want to learn more about it, or both. For example, a few years ago I found a localized population of Hemileuca maia. I collected a nice series for myself and close friends, but I wanted to learn more about these moths so I got a female to oviposit. I not only got a glimpse into their life cycle, but also learned a great deal about their calling and mating habits. In addition to what I learned, I obtained some very interesting specimens including different forms. One bonus to rearing any insect is you can get some great photos of fully developed larvae, and even include them in your collection, as in displaying it next to the adult. Here are two photos of Sphingicampa species in my area. S. bisecta and S. bicolor.   |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 21:13:28 GMT -8
Rearing for me is an awesome continuance of collecting. I love to return from a trip having caught a bunch of adults also having papered a female for ova. Later on I'm again dealing with the species in a different way. I love to see the stages of what I could not see when out in the field gathering adults. The perfect specimens are another big reason. My whole love of many of my favorite insects is enhanced when I rear them. My love for S. diana, D. tityus, L. elaphus, A. louisiana, A. randa, to name a few is greater having seen them in their larval stages etc. I had to wait for years for my D. tityus, but when I got the adults, I was pleased indeed. Rearing is a behind the scenes look at a given species. I have reared for trade, but prefer to not get into the selling arena. Another thing about rearing is sharing what you got w others who are dying to get their hands on that particular bug.
When I first field caught A. louisiana, I got just a few specimens in less than perfect condition. I even sacrificed my only female to get ova and after that, I had plenty of that moth......because I reared.....and reared some more. My collection has 28 A1 females of that moth and 24 males........since I reared. Had I not reared, I'd have but a few.
Rearing also offers rewards for hard work. How neat is it to see an A1 perfect moth hanging from the very cage that the larva of that same moth was a mere 3mms long six weeks ago? Oh.....btw.....there are those times when rearing fails, but one must always try again.
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Post by zarkanoz on Nov 19, 2018 9:36:02 GMT -8
Why do you rear? Do you want perfect specimens? Do you want to learn their life cycle/history? Or both? Or do you have some other reason? Because I love them, and I want to observe them in life. |
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Post by eurytides on Nov 19, 2018 10:50:50 GMT -8
Ditto. While it is nice to have perfect specimens, I mainly rear because I find them fascinating and I want to know their life cycle. I want to see their lives.
I don't have that many specimens, but the vast majority are raised from eggs or larvae I find. As well, I release a good number of the leps I raise, so that even though I am taking something from nature, I am giving something back as I do not want to harm local population numbers.
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poisonarrow
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Looking for fellow entomologists in the SF Bay area
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Post by poisonarrow on Nov 19, 2018 11:09:13 GMT -8
I do it for both reasons. I like lucanidae a lot, and oftentimes I only find a few. Keeping the females and to try rearing the larvae can be a challenge, but it’s very rewarding. Plus if all goes well, I get a good series of specimen. Sometimes alive is the only way to get rare species. I am beeeding Leptinopterus burmeisteri at the moment, they are crazy productive. Yet, a specimen would cost me dearly  |
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Post by LEPMAN on Nov 19, 2018 18:45:19 GMT -8
I reared Artipe eryx, Tongeia and other species because they were easier to rear than they were to collect.
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Post by lamprima2 on Nov 19, 2018 19:43:25 GMT -8
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Post by wollastoni on Nov 20, 2018 0:47:39 GMT -8
Your file must be too heavy, there is a 1 MB limitation.
You should use Flickr or Imgur to display bigger pictures on the forum at no cost for InsectNet.
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Post by bobw on Nov 20, 2018 1:59:05 GMT -8
I regard rearing insects as more of an educational thing than anything else, you learn so much from doing it, much of which is undocumented. I only collect a few groups, most of which are very difficult to rear so not much of it is for my collection; I release some local species but mostly I just do it because I learn a lot and I enjoy it; it's also fun to exchange livestock with other breeders. However, it can be extremely hard work and can curtail travelling as you have to be there to look after the bugs. There were times 20 or 30 years ago when I'd be rearing 40 species simultaneously, there's no way I could cope with that now so I try to keep it to single figures.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2018 6:23:44 GMT -8
Ex pupae quality specimens pure and simple, I don't have the energy anymore to go hurtling around the countryside with net in hand, a gravid female laying dozens of eggs is much easier for me now, also you can keep or release as many as you want and keep them going for a few generations.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Nov 20, 2018 9:19:55 GMT -8
inachisio65, you are middle age in my opinion. I am 73 years of age. And, I enjoy getting out and among them, Lepidoptera that is.
I must currently remain close to home due to my wife's health. I have a Bait Trap in use in my back yard 24/7/365. Since 23 May 2018 and I have collected over 300 species of Lepidoptera, a couple hundred Coleoptera (field pinned), untold number of Diptera, all field pinned. And some nasty hornets, wasps and other stinging creatures that do not like me. Stuck a pin in most of them first. One of those nasty small green yellow and black hornets got me twice.
My sign-off: "Let's Get Among them". And I do get among them.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2018 9:59:34 GMT -8
Age has nothing to do with it I have had a severe and debilitating disease for around 9 years now, so it's not the age it's the mileage.
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