Question about husbandry of Chilecomadia moorei

Paul F Austin paustin at digital.net
Sun Dec 5 10:09:37 EST 1999


If they can feed on apple wood, I doubt that there is any chance that the
USDA is going to allow them to be raised in the US.
Martha Steuart
Brevard County, Florida, home of many alien invaders, including now
cactoblastus.

Arklier wrote in message ...
>On 3 Dec 1999 18:19:59 -0800, butterflies at navix.net (Ray Tripp) wrote:
>
>>>From what I'm told, they are a stem borer in order to pupate. I was also
>>told that it couldn't be done here. I don't know why it couldn't be done
>>like waxworms for the pupation. I've never tried. Are you raising
waxworms?
>>
>>I'm doing well with the silk worms on an AD. I need to find a good source
to
>>buy more though. Because my lizards love them too.
>>
>>Ray
>
>I did find the following info about them. This is quoted from an
>entomological report that can be found at
>http://www.fcla.ufl.edu/FlaEnt/fe78p39.html
>
>"Chilecomadia moths. ?Butterworms? are advertised by the distributor
>as ?the softest worm? and are sold as reptile food in the United
>States and Europe. In his permit application, the
>importer spelled the scientific name incorrectly, did not know the
>family, claimed the larvae were found under rocks in Chile, and that
>they would immediately die if removed from
>refrigeration. Eventually, butterworms turned out to be the
>caterpillars of a Chilean cossid moth, Chilecomadia morrei Silva
>Figueroa. Removed from refrigeration, they lived at least three
>weeks and fed readily on artificial diet. Cossids are wood-borers as
>larvae, and recorded hosts for this species in Chile include willows.
>A related Chilean species is recorded from willow,
>acacia, and apple. The permit was denied."
>
>Now, this does have me interested. The NY Worms (www.nyworms.com) site
>said they could live in chicken mash. If they can live on chicken mash
>and use apple or willow wood for pupation, then they could be raised
>here. I'm not sure what their life cycle length is, but it might be
>worth checking out.
>
>As for the silkworms, you can raise your own even if you don't have
>access to a mullberry tree. They sell silkworm chow and eggs at
>http://www.mulberryfarms.com/
>
>arklier at spamnotwa.net
>Remove 'spamnot' to reply by email
>
>Mega Man fans visit alt.games.megaman
>
>Quint's page of Rockman manga scans: http://www2.crosswinds.net/~sakugarne



More information about the Leps-l mailing list