Luna update
The luna caterpillars are getting a little out of control… I have decided I am only going to keep 20 for now, maybe whittle that down to 10 as they get bigger. The rest, I am unsure of their fate, they will probably get mailed back to their collection locality, now that they’ve had a head start.
So this is my little crew of eating machines.
They needed a new container, something I can keep a branch of leaves fresh in, and also provide much more ventilation. So with some advice from my advisor, I came up with this contraption. I taped two containers together, cutting the top off of one and putting netting on top. I cut a hole in the bottom to put a stick through, and settled the containers inside a larger one, putting water in the bottom. The plant and a coffee filter (to catch frass) are now home to 20 adorable caterpillars gaining more colorful spines.
Posted on May 31, 2011, in Actias, Invertebrates, Lepidoptera, Saturniidae. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
caterpillarblog 
Hi Brigette,
you are so right! Having reared some caterpillars of A. selene as a hobbyist, I sometimes couldn’t keep up with food delivery in my urban area. Honestly, stealing Rhododendron over your neighbor’s fence is done best in early morning hours. 😉
For the ventilated container I’d recommend something like those garden pop-up bags, with some fine mesh over it instead of the usual green plastic stuff. You can possibly buy the ready-for-rearing meshed version in furniture stores. They really, really fit the gold standards of easy maintenance, optimized air flow (haha) and, if not used, they’re foldable too (of course)!
Good luck and best wishes!
Ack, I’ve been looking for these forever, where/how did you find them????? Please share your secrets lol.
Just one more for your list For the Love of Nature: E. E. Gostelow’s Birds and Flowers By Christobel Mattingley.I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Gostelow’s work, many of his piintang are from my little part of the world but as a coffee table book it will shame the other’s on your list Kim
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