Matt Curtis writes, "I tried a few experiments with shallow soil mixes, deep, and soiless, but the Eacles oslari and Citheronia splendens seemed to have problems shedding their last instar skins completely in anything but deep soil.
"Last year I had pretty good luck with just paper in the bottom of rearing boxes of Eacles oslari, but not this time. The ones in deeper, darker boxes of potting soil dug nice pupation chambers and made good transitions."
Tim Dyson writes, "I finally went to deal with Manduca larvae today, and findings weren`t as expected. Though, it was very interesting from my "beginner" perspective. First of all, I gathered and fed just over a hundred.
"Put four larvae that were shrinking and attempting to borrow, into pale with layers of paper towel like you suggested. They were appearing to do fine two days later, (shrinking a little more, and tightening up a little from end to end), so I left them to it. Upon checking them today, all were dead, and dry, and barely an inch long. Hadn`t even shed their last skin.
"Next, checked ones that were in cages (maybe 50 or so, originally). Cages were on top of planter trays, (3-4 inches deep), filled with soil sifted from a garden bed. Cage frame bottom covered (but not too tightly) the top rims of the planter trays. Saw many begin to borrow into soil more than two months ago. Today, found very few, all were dead, and still in larval stage. Some soft and gooky, while other stout and dried out like ones in pail. Number of bodies in trays was about 20. (I think I may have had some escapees).
"Finally, checked huge bucket-type planter that I had kept another 50 or there abouts. This container held nearly pure potting soil, with some garden soil mixed into it. This was in fact, the most interesting container of them all.
"It had 17 perfect, and alive Manduca pupae, a few that were dried out, dead, and tiny, a couple mushy dead ones, and at least 3-4 that died half way through shedding their last skins. Still though, almost 20 seem to be missing. I sifted the soil very thoroughly, but found no more. So, needless to say I suppose, I don`t really have extra Manducas this year afterall.
"I will keep the very few I`m left with.
"So, after all of that, I took the rototiller, and carved out quite a good-sized plot and took all of the tomatoes that we had that got frosted, and tossed them into the fresh tilling.
"Have now planted my first moth garden for next year. We usually get a lot of volunteer tomatoes here, so I`m sure they`ll do fine.
"* Most of the Manducas (live ones), were at 10-12 inches deep into the potting soil.*
"I will sometime (remind me if you like), photographed these pupae, and the dead larva, (esp. the ones half out of their skin). I believe I can figure out why the ones in the trays maybe didn`t make it, and how some escaped, but can`t seem to figure out what happened to the ones in the pail.
"I think next year, I will make a section of my tomatoes, with a huge screen box under ground, and put all of the pillars on those plants and see if I can sift out pupae from there before the ground freezes.
"Do you know if they travel far from the plant, when they are ready to go under?
"Oh well, not everything goes as planned I guess."
Thanks to both Matt and Tim for their
observations. Here on Prince Edward Island I have had success with
Ceratocampinae and Sphingidae pupating without soil in plastic tubs
with loose paper towelling on the bottom.
It is very interesting to note that both of the species mentioned seemed to need
deep soil. (Bill Oehlke)
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