Female with torn apart abdomen

I have heard that fertilizing by hand has worked from time to time, but I'm not sure how the process works or how well it has worked. I believe the males are killed and the seminal vesicles are removed and then manipulated, somehow. The person who has been doing it didn't tell me very much.
Jeff Prill

Hi Fernando,
Many people do not realize that the eggs are not fertilized at the time of the pairing. The eggs are fertilized as they are deposited as they pass through the natural opening of the female. It is at this time that the eggs are bathed in a mixture of the male's sperm and the females "glue". If the female is not able to expel the eggs naturally, then they will not be fertile, and you will have to resort to method Jeff has mentioned. I have never tried it and would not be able to describe method, but that would be your only choice, or hope aanother female emerges.
Did you have any luck with rehdration of the pupae that appeared dead?
I suspect a lizard, a mouse or a vole got into the basket through the narrow openings between the "wicker" bands. I would not leave them in the basket if you hope to get a pairing, or for that matter have any moths.
Bill Oehlke

A wild male just came flying and is currently mating with the female. Let's see if she can deposite eggs. I'll keep you informed.

Fernando,
You can try to gently squeeze the eggs through the natural opening, even if it means putting tape over the wound. It is a long shot, but it might work for you to at least get some fertile eggs.
Sometimes males can mate more than once and provide enough sperm to fertilize two or three females, but I would advise that you try to get fresher males to fly in to other females (hopefully you will have some). In other words, I would not release the male that has already paired, but save him alive in cool conditions just in case no more males arrive when you have your next female out. Then you can let him pair, and hopefully his sperm will still be good.
Good way to keep him still and from expending energy is to put him in a plastic tub, lid on tight, no air holes, and put the tub in the refrigerator crisper, above freezing, not in the freezer.

Bill Oehlke

I do not think so. I think it is only important that the eggs get washed in the male sperm as they exit the female's body. There is probably, under normal conditions, a pressure bath as the eggs are expelled. You might or might not be able to duplicate it manually.
I suspect sperm was probably stored in some sort of receptacle in the female's body. Just guessing, but i suspect the pressure exerted by the eggs probably squeezes some of the male fluids into the track and coats the egg as it gets expelled.
The tear in the female's body may have caused her to lose much of the fluid around the eggs by evaporation so she may be entirely bound. Maybe it wil work, maybe not. All you have to lose is some time.

Bill Oehlke