Catching female moths

[Anne Kilmer]

SpiceFinch wrote:
> 
> I am interested in finding out how to trap a female moth or butterfly without
>  harming her in hopes of getting some eggs. My experiences with raising
>  butterflies have so far been limited to vagrant caterpillars and the little
>  Black Swallowtails from my parsley each year, and I would love to see the
>  whole cycle from egg to adult. How do you attract, catch, and keep them, and
>  what should they be provided with in order to lay eggs? How should the eggs be
>  kept, and do they need anything special to hatch- certain humidity, etc.?
> SpiceFinch at aol.com
> Alexandra Telecky

you have opened the door to a most exciting hobby.
Planting the larval hosts in your garden will usually invite plenty of 
butterflies and provide you with unlimited eggs. many of us regard it as 
an agreeable challenge to invite the butterflies merely by offering host 
plants and nectar plants, and let Nature bless us with the bugs.
This sometimes means, in the case of a highly desirable butterfly, that 
you have to lay a trail of its favored plants from its natural site to 
your (equally suitable) yard.
You do this by persuading the local schools to plant butterfly gardens. 
The children go home with plants. Thus, the path is prepared for the 
butterflies to come find your garden. 
This is a lot of work, and some people find it easier to just buy your 
bugs. 
As for keeping your bugs as pets, there are plenty of articles on the 
Web. That's fun, too. 
If you find or start a local butterfly club, you'll be able to swap 
expertise and plants. 
Anne Kilmer
South Florida