Questions and Answers

Some of you have posed very specific questions that are probably not answered in any of the general articles on the site. I will attempt to answer but would greatly appreciate any member assistance.

Send me your responses and I will post them for all to see.

Bill,

Last night, many male polyphemus came near my cages (females). I caught them. What tremendous entertainment !
Luc,
Congratulations on your entertaining evening.

Questions :
1. How long live a female polyphemus ?
usually seven to ten days.

2. Is it true ? On your Internet informations (page 4 of 9), you write: Unmated females begin laying eggs after two or three evenings ?
Yes, that is true for most species.

3. If female live 2 weeks, can I wait last just for mating ? During these two weeks, I will catch males.
Usually (not always) once the female has started ovipositing, she stops calling and males no longer approach.

4. This summer, I will raise these three others species:
May you answer at those same questions for:
Actias luna
Callosamia promethea
Hyalophora cecropia Thank you very much.
Luc

Same for lunas; last summer I had a female promethea go five nights before pairing and then laying eggs. She hatched out here where I had no males. I took her to New Jersey with me to visit family. She did not mate when we stopped the first afternoon in southern Maine but she did mate the first afternoon in New Jersey. Cecropias sometimes go four nights but usually lay on the third night even if unpaired.

Calling in many wild males just for collecting is preventing matings in the wild so it's not good to take in too many, a dozen is fine.

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