Faced with the above problems, I find that, if I don’t want to be limited to only half of a year of rearing, I have to grow plants inside and/or use artificial diets.
After much experimentation (which is actually ongoing), I’ve come to a point where I’m having some success. Possibly some of my ideas will help others who also get very bored in winter.
I began "gardening" in the laundry room in my cellar about four years ago. The resident furnace keeps the temperature between 63-70 degrees F. To accommodate tropical species that need 70-80 degrees F, I make use of an infrared lamp angled towards the “Tropical section”. When this is used, the cellar temperature rises slightly.
When I started, I had two ancient florescent lights that I used for sprouting plants. These weren’t too bad, but most of the plants got very “leggy” and the foliage was never adequate. They never provided enough light for plants that got big, like castor bean which I like to use with the various Samia species.
Before I upgraded my light system, I experimented with artificial diets. Educational Science advertised a multiple moth diet (based on Oak and Sweet Gum) that I purchased (I don’t see it on their site any more), plus a Willow/Elm diet for Mourning Cloak butterflies.
I also purchased a privet diet from Seritech Silkworm Supplies (I’m not sure where they are now). Carolina Biological supply also has some diets.
With these prepared diets, I started experimenting. The first species I tried was Samia cynthia ricini. Plastic boxes were necessary to keep the diet from drying out too quickly, but the plastic also kept humidity so high that frequent changes were needed, resulting in wasted food.
The larvae often encountered wet frass. In my first attmept, I lost all the caterpillars to bacterial disease. Subsequently I served the artificial diet on small screening to keep it from drying out on the paper-towel-lining. This startegy worked much better, keeping larvae away from wet frass (they tended to stay on the screening and the diet), and saving me from all too frequent changes.
I find it amazing that the amount of food they eat (the strips of artificial diet) seems much less than the corresponding amount of foliage would be. Perhaps the nutrient density of the diet is the reason. One interesting note is that the larvae are all bluish, different than the normal color on regular foliage. I find that Manduca sexta take on a bluer hue when using artificial diet also.
That second batch of ricini netted me twelve cocoons out of an original fifty eggs. That’s not great for some people, but, for my situation, it was fantastic. Plus it happened in winter!!!! By the way, all three diets were taken equally and I saw no preference, at least with the ricini.
I decided to try additional Saturnidae. I had access to Rothschildia jacobae eggs so they were next. Their diet preference is similar to Samia species and they are known to take what is in the above diets. My success rate was not as good with them. Out of twenty-four eggs, I only got three cocoons, and they were quite small. A lot of jacobae out there has been inbred so that may have explained that as well. My attempts with pernyi and yamamai, both Antheraea species were unsuccessful.
I still plan to continue artificial diet experiments, especially by using powdered dry leaves (especially oak) mixed into the established diet. This may give the larvae more of the necessary stimulus to get them started feeding. I also want to see if the diet can be put on fresh leaves in a thin layer so that fewer leaves may be needed.(Almost a “super nutrition” type diet).
After the last experiments, I started critically reading the foodplant possibilities of different species around the world. These are, obviously, found extensively on Bill’s site as you well know if you are reading this. At that time I also saw a very strong grow light made by Hydrofarms. It was almost $300 so I sold some Citheronia regalis and Eacles species that I had raised in the summer with Bill’s sleeves to get it. (I try to make this hobby somewhat self supporting). The bulb for this light is 250 watts and goes for about $50. 500 and 1000 watt bulbs are also available. In the future, the sky’s the limit with how strong and how many I may get.
Anyway, the light was immediately much brighter and the impact on growing plants was immediate. The "lamp" is about 6 feet high in the middle of the 10 foot square growing area. The castor bean plants turn their leaves somewhat towards the light but are much bushier and definitely normal looking. Plants that don’t require as much light are on the fringe of this light but supplemented by the standard fluorescent lights.
With this setup, I have expanded the plants I have growing. At this time I have five, 4-5 foot high castor bean plants, five good sized evergreen privets (about three feet high), a potted evergreen oak that I got in North Carolina, various potted plants that were started with slips or by seed (mostly willows and also purple loosestrife which a surprising number of Saturnidae will eat. note: Don’t let loosestrife seeds get outside-they are considered an invasive pest species), and all the boxes and cages of “stuff” I’m raising plus some low light needing houseplants, like schefflera, which Atlas species like. The biggest enjoyment I have lately is trying to find different plant species that the different Saturnidae and Sphingidae might take. The interrelationship between plant genus and species is very complex.
Occasionally I raise a plant that is interesting in its own right and that even my wife finds interesting (my “bugs” are not very interesting to her or my kids).
One other note: I had some problems with viral disease, especially with Hyalophora and Attacus species. I purchased some Clorine Dioxide disinfectant from Educational Science that doesn’t harm anything (except the viruses) and finally raised atlas to completion. The disinfectant is simply sprayed all over and allowed to dry.
I know that there are probably many questions about what I have tried to cover. While certainly not an entomologist, I have some layman experience that could be helpful. I am more than happy to converse with anyone who may be interested. My e-mail address is: mrjvi@adelphia.net and my name is John Irion.
Thanks for the interesting article, John.
I will probably do some experimenting with a diluted spray of
chlorine bleach on the indoor starter foliage that I offer to
Hyalophora species. The nuclear polyhedrosis virus that
enjoys the alkaline environment of a caterpilar's gut, can often
be contained by the acidic environment of "chlorine" compounds.
It might even be possible that those who rear larvae on foliage
of trees or cut-stems irrigated with chlorinated water, experience
fewer problems with npv.
I'm sure many of us will more fully enjoy experiments with extending
the relatively short season we have in the northeast!
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