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,

So far, 7 out of the 10 New Jersey polyphemus emerged...still all males!! I also bought another 15 cocoons from an LA breeder at a local insect fair; 13 emerged so far, incredibly only 2 females! The first one I put outside in a 1/2" hardware cloth cage, but no wild mates - although Polyphemus supposedly occur here, I do live buried within 20 miles of city, and the coastal weather has been awful here all year. So I started popping the emerged males in the fridge to save them. When the second California female emerged, I put her in a cage (first night inside, then out) with 2 fresh New Jersey males + 1 fridge delayed California male...still no interest!! I even tried handpairing - they actually stopped squirming for a minute or so, but refused to stay joined!! ...Really strange for Saturniidae, though you did warn about this possibility on your webpage.

So, I guess, I do have a question for the Saturniidae site FAQ page about if anyone has successfully handpaired Polyphemus before! And how come they don't like each other!! Is it regional? - I want to conduct more experiments, there must be some environmental element missing, but I can't figure out what it is yet.

I did phone your dad a week or two ago and he suggested I order eggs through you, though he might end up supplying them. His cocoons have certainly hatched into larger and healthier adults than the local breeder! And I absolutely don't mind paying for some eggs to try again, provided you guys have any that is!! Anyway, let me know if you do, and I will send you a check right away.

Meanwhile I am still working on getting up my website with a designer (I will let you know the link information when it is up, plus would like to put a link to your site on my page), plus of course providing for my ever-increasing Manduca colony (now well into the hundreds, I fear)...

Regards,
Robin

Robin,

Although texts say it is easy to get polyphemus to mate in cages when both males and females are in the same cage, I have not found this to be the case. There is the possiblity that in such close proximity the male is overwhelmed by the pheromone. Certainly the New Jersey males should have been attracted to the California females. They also need a dark locale.

Because it is so easy for me to have females call in wild males I have never tried to hand pair polyphemus. Handpairing usually only works at the normal calling time for female of the particular species, after 10:00 pm. for polyphemus.

I would suggest the following. Take your males out of cold storage in mid afternoon to give them much time to warm up. Put your females out doors around 9:30 pm in a hardware cloth cage. Around 10:00 pm release (requires faith) a male or two about 30 meters downwind of the females. Check your cage around 11:00 and then at midnight to see if you have a pairing. I only release males of indigenous species.

You may be too much in the city for wild males to be present. They will be distracted by strong lighting. If I have calling females out on my balcony and my mv light is shining atop the roof, males come in to the light instead of to the females.

About the only time I witnessed a polyphemus mating inside a cage, I was amazed:

A male was in an outdoor cage with the female and showed no interest. It was very cold outside, probably right around the 47 F mark which is borderline too cold for Saturniidae activity. I brought the cage inside the cabin and left lights off. I shone a flashlight into the cage; the female was calling but the male showed no interest. I turnded flashlight off and got ready for bed.

About ten minutes later I turned the flashlight on to look at the male. He was still quiet in his own area of the cage. I inspected the female who was still calling. With the flashlight on the female in a dark cabin room, the male suddenly flew over, frantically climbed all over the female and promptly mated with her.

I have no idea what triggered the mating. Perhaps it was just too cold outside and it was just a coincidence that the male (warmed up) finally responded when the flashlight shone on the female. The "rape" scene is one that I will never forget, however.

I will have eggs in a week or two. I am disappointed you have not had a pairing. Email me again around June 10. If no pairings have occurred, I will send you some eggs (three dozen or more) for just cost of EXPRESS postage and handling $6.00 U.S.

Glad to hear your manducas are doing well.

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