Here’s a picture of my latest house guests:
Last month, a presenter we had at the library brought in some cecropia moths she has been rearing. They had mated and the female laid eggs all over the cage. The woman insisted I take some eggs home with me (I think she just wanted to thin out the herd…).
So, I now have a cage full of these caterpillars. As I was changing their branch today, I noticed that two of them are now starting to look very colorful like the late instar. I can’t wait until they are bigger. Although…where I will put them then is anyone’s guess. (Linda, I think I have a present for you…)
A number of them have bit the dust, as I expected a few would. Still, that leaves me with around 30. I have been raising them on lilac, so I’m not sure they will change food sources this late in the game. Frankly, I don’t know a thing about them. There is a great site here with some photos and info, but other sites usually say something like, “look in the guide book to determine food source plants.”
Eventually, i will need to either free them outside so they can pupate or find a really big cage for them to make their cocoons in and then stick it out in the garage for the winter. I think I’ll at least keep one or two (assuming I can get them this far) so I can see them emerge next year. The moths are so big and beautiful!
oooooh! Cool! 🙂
They look so different at that stage. Tammy raised one and she said it was incredibly awesome when it came out. Chris loved it. I’d be willing to take a few but I have no lilac. Maybe we could wean them onto something else. I’ve got a shitload of pokeweed. and dogbane. I’ve seen them on willow but I know they eat lots of different things.
Oooooh … can they be trained to fetch? Play frisbee??? Taking them on a walk around the block must go very slowly, though …
I may be offering some of them free to a good home, but you must have a lilac bush. I wish they would eat pokeweed, Linda!
I am hearing that willow and silver maple are some of their favs. They are now really chowing down and getting big and pretty. Have to take an updated pic soon!
Chris, they move amazingly fast for such tiny critters. When I clean out their cage, I really have to watch them or they zoom off over the side. OK…maybe not zoom per se but still at a good clip. And no, I will NOT be dressing them up in tiny little outfits. Although that would make an interesting blog: Stuff on my Caterpillar….
I would like to buy some crecopia caterpillars
Cortniesgram,
Sorry, but I can’t help you out there. While I’d give some of these buggers away for free, you live a bit too far away. And they would be very crispy, indeed, if they were mailed!
I would suggest you ask around at your local parks/nature centers. There’s always someone nearby who is raising caterpillars (and would most likely give you some extras).
While there are some companies that sell caterpillars online, this can be harmful to your local wildlife as you introduce a foreign genotype and possibly disease. Also, there is a high transport mortality rate.
You might also try looking at the undersides of silver maple or willow leaves as you might find a wild caterpillar yourself. Best of luck!
My boy found a cecropia caterpillar today. In my reading, it says they are fond of fruit tree leaves, and we happen to have peach, apple & nectarine trees. We also have a red/silver maple hybrid, redbud, japanese maple and a zelkova. Of those, which d’ya think would make him/her happiest?
Jason,
Well, I’m certainly not an expert and I’m learning as I go about raising these guys, but I would say that whatever your son found the caterpillar on (the host plant) will be what it likes to eat.
The caterpillars seem to be picky that way. That is, whatever they start eating they seem to stick with. Although, some say that you can switch their food source when they molt into a new instar (shed their skin). They do, indeed, love fruit tree leaves so it sounds like you are set. I think the peach might be a good bet.
If you keep them in a cage (mine are in a huge plastic planter with a mesh screen on top) just be sure to stick the branches into a water source so they don’t wilt so fast. Also, you have to cover the water or the caterpillars will march right down into it. Not a lot of brain power there!
Good luck & let me know what it finally liked to eat most.
I would be interested in any you would like to part with, have a garden and plenty of lilac and other plants and trees they need. Where are you located, I may be willing to drive to get them, I am in ohio. Please let me know. thanks so much
I’m sure you would be a great caterpillar caretaker, but I’m just releasing them. I get a big kick out of seeing them fly off.
I too have begun rearing cecropia’s! We found this beautiful fmeale on the wall of my daughters school early in the morning. There was some rotten little boys throwing stones at her, so of course I took her home! She laid eggs, lots of them, in our butterfly carrier! I tried not to get excited as these beauties are kinda rare in my neck of the woods! Sure enough, on the first hot and humid day of the summer here, they hatched! I had counted 182 eggs. So far we are at 10 days old and are beginning to change into the second instar. So beautiful they are! They are quite hungry little eaters! I am feeding them a maple which I believe to be a red maple. I had also put some leaves off our pear tree but they seem to prefer the maple. So I am sticking to whatever makes these darlings happy. Is there any special tips you can give me? This is a first for me rearing cecropia’s, however I do have experience with other butterflies and moths. I really want these creatures to do well. I hope to allow some to breed to help increase the populations around here. Thanks for any input you have
I am not an expert, by any means, and am blundering my way along. There are so many variables, too…
However, you should check out http://www.wormspit.com
and http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/lizday/moth.html
Both have some nice tips. Best of luck, as I think luck plays a big role! It is amazing to watch them change. If you are raising them indoors, be sure to occasionally mist them if you are running AC….but not SO much misting that they get too wet and get a moldy environment…tricky to maintain a delicate balance. You will want to clean out the frass (poop) before it gets moldy, too. Use a small kid’s paintbrush to gently move the small caterpillars to fresh leaves (kind of roll the brush up underneath them).
Hi, I am an education student in Australia, and I was wondering if I could gain your permission in using the photo of the Cecropia Moth Caterpillars for one of my assignments? Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Any of the caterpillar & butterfly photos can be used by anyone as long as it it not for a commercial/money-making venture. Enjoy!