Hello Jeroen/all I haven't been able to find anyone who has tried to obtain eggs from the Red-green Carpet (C. siterata) although it is generally accepted that...
Hello Reg, all I have obtained several eggs of Chloroclysta siterata. I kept also a female of Conistra erythrocephala in the same cage ass C. rubiginea, at the...
Last year for the first time a raised a complete clutch of P Brassicae for the first time and out of 26 larvae, 24 made it to pupae, 20 emerged last autumn, 1...
Hi Richard I think that one of the features of emergence is that males emerge slightly earlier than females and maybe this was made obvious by the chilly...
Interesting idea Shane - I believe that leafcutter bees also emerge males first from the 'tube' of cells - for which I assume there is a similar reason - I did...
I read somewhere once that it is simply to ensure that there is always a male about when a female emerges.One rarely finds a flying unfertilised female.A...
Hi Richard/all, This is a fascinating subject which you could also look at it from another angle - how does the insects built in clock tell them when it is...
..and the fact that this - (large white) - a 'common' even 'pest' species can still throw up these sorts of questions illustrates how much scope there is for...
Hi all, As you say Richard some new fact / occurrence comes up all the time - for example:- I was sent 4 small larvae of the White Satin moth (Leucoma salicis)...
Hi Reg, I think this isn't as rare as it may seem but people usually don't capture small larvae on the 1st or 2nd instars having a preference for larger larvae...
Hello Andy, I mixed crushed limestone in a patch of earth (about 6ft by 4ft) in a garden some 20 years ago. Half was seeded with Horeshoe Vetch H. comosa and...
Hi Eduardo, Thanks for that. Mark Shaw has also sent some detailed information which I will send as a separate e-mail to this group in case anyone is...
Hi all Following Marks' request, can I make my (annual?) plea for any reared examples of that other group of Lepidoptera parasites, the Tachinid flies. Host...
Hi Matthew I usually rear a few Northern Egger larvae each year and I always get at least a couple that have been got at. Would you like these also (they can...
I also had some P.brassicae last August which went from egg to imago stage in a few weeks. Interestingly, all mine emerged, none overwintered as pupae....
Hi Dafydd, Apart from those that spin 'solid' cocoons (eg Puss Moth) as soon as the larvae are settling down to pupate (shrinking, changing colour or spinning...
Hi all, Both the Large and Small Whites were flying very late in the wild last year which suggested at least one additional brood. It will be interesting to...
I normally only keep a few at a time and the ones that look as though they are ready to pupate I seperate off into another box lined with kitchen towel - and a...
..I have discovered that Asda does a range of 'extra special' ice-cream which comes in a strong oval tub which is translucent and they are ideal for raising a...
Reg, Richard et al, Many thanks for the advice. All these now seem to be about to pupate so I will try to thin them out gently, and will also segregate the ...
Paul Thanks for your reply. Yes please, any flies, puparia or assorted left overs would be great. Regarding the smelly bits, could I suggest either drying...
Hi Dafydd, I have aspen in the garden so have only used that to feed them. I doubt hawthorn is any good, PBM Allen recommends only native poplars and a couple ...
Hi Jeroen, Thats a nice picture and an unusual one for sponsa. What size is it? I have put the tiny URL below as the photos area URLs are so long! I found the...
Hello Reg, all, Your caterpillar is Apocheima pilosaria. The C. sponsa caterpillar looks quite normal it is a fourth stage caterpillar. They are really nice to...
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