polyphemus luna mating

[dchaffee at gvi.net]

On Mon, 8 Jun 1998 08:32:11 -0400 AST, "WILLIAM OEHLKE - 420"
<oehlkew at montagueint.edu.pe.ca> wrote:
>
>When we came back at 1:30 am the poly and luna were separated, the
>female poly was paired with a male poly.  At 4:30 am a female
>cecropia was paired with a columbia  and the hybrid female was paired
>with a columbia. This is the second time this year that caged female
>cecropias have paired with wild columbia males, once in Nova Scotia
>and once in P.E.I.  Last year a female cecropia paired witha male
>columbia and the hybrid emergences are very beautiful.
>Questions:  1)  What is the likelihood that there will be any viable
>ova from the luna x polyphemus mating?

It's doubtfull. 1.5 hrs is not likely long enough for effective
fertilization between two lunas, let alone such a hybrid. I'm
not aware of any successful offfspring from luna x polyphemus.

>2)  Do hybrid females usually scent?  It is my understanding that
>female F1 hybrids are sterile.  

When I've hybridized h. cecopia with h. euryalis, both the males and
females are usually fertile. this year was the only instance when
these hybrids were sterile.

good luck, 
Dan Chaffee
Kansas City, Mo.