buckeye quandries

[Semjase]

>I've been having a few troubles with the buckeye's I'm trying to rear.  
>In short, MANY have been inexplicably dieing.  I don't know if this is a 
>bacterial or other problem.  The somewhat odd thing, is they seem to get 
>unusually large before this happens.  By which I mean, they are about 
>1/4-1/2 larger in size than the ones that I successfully raised 6 weeks 
>ago.  I am wondering if there is any afflication that would suppress 
>pupation and essentially cause them to keep eating until they 
>grow-to-death.
>
>It was suggested to me by Pierre P. that there is some trouble raising 
>them solely on plantain.  Has anybody else had similar experience?  I'm 
>wondering if perhaps there isn't some essential chemical missing in 
>plantain that is needed to simulate pupation.  The successful batch was 
>reared on a combo of plantain, snapdragon and an un-id. garden weed.  
>Since this was mostly striped, I have taken the new caterpillars indoors 
>and supplemanted their feeding with plantain from the local school-yard 
>play-field.  I 've even transplanted some into my garden plot to the 
>horror & amusement of my co-gardeners.  Unfortunately, I can't keep 
>buying flats of snapdragon (as I did earlier this summer) because it's 
>getting too expensive.  But alas I didn't want all these funny lil guys 
>to crawl away & die.
>
>Anyway, I don't think the problem is pesticides, because I accidentally 
>feed some once with snapdragon that had been sprayed.  Unfortunately, 
>they twitched a great deal, curled up & made me well aware of my 
>mistake.  Now they just, grow & grow, look fine, until one day they are 
>at the bottom all stretched out.
>
>Suggestions or help gratefully welcomed...  Laurel
>Our lab currently focuses on experiments with Buckeye (Precis coenia), 
>and has had a successful colony for several years.  
>
>>sw
>>scabrous at fcmail.com
>
>
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I have just one thing to say on this and make of it what you will.  About 35
years ago in Chicago I found in a second hand / collectibles store a mount made
by someone of the local species.  In it was a buckeye the size of a monarch. 
Wish I had bought it!

S.