need help for raising butterflies

Kathleen Moon kmoon at ucla.edu
Thu Sep 30 03:34:44 EDT 1999


"K.J.Caley" wrote:
> 
> Pedro,
> 
> It would help if you told us what species this was - as so many species
> are host-plant specific in the larval stage, you could have a disaster
> on your hands if the ID is wrong.  As to how to keep specimens (other
> than the food plant), I have had a great deal of success with two
> methods - one is simply using an empty fish tank, with the bottom
> covered in (previously sterilised) compost, in which the vase / pot
> sits, and then cover the top of the tank with muslin, or a simple 'stick
> and muslin' affair surrounding a pot.  As it's a native, you won't have
> to worry so much with altering temperatures, etc.,  but I must
> re-emphaisze that knowing the species (and then the food plant) should
> be high on your priority list.

What Kevin wrote (above) is unfortunately of paramount importance. 
Personally, I think that if you gave Doug Yanega a good description of
the butterfly, he would be able to set you on the right trak.  Although
he is now here in California, he spent quite a while in Brazil. is email
is <dyanega at pop.ucr.edu>.

> >         hi, my name is Pedro, i'm 17 and live in Brazil. Last week a
> > butterfly was landed on my room's wall for a long time. after she went
> > away i noticed that she had left 5 little yellow eggs on my wall. I'm
> > quite interested in taking care of these specimens till they become
> > actual butterflies, but i've no idea how to do it. can someone please
> > help me? i'll be very grateful and promise to send pictures of their
> > development!

That would be nice.  Please post them on the
alt.binaries.pictures.animals newsgroup and put a note here on the
Lepidoptera newsgroup showing us where to find them.  Alternatively, you
could put them on your own webpage, wherever it might be.  The reason? 
Several of us have expressed a strong desire to keep better control of
their email due to the fact that they get billed for incoming as well as
outgoing messages.

I sincerely hope this helps.

[].


More information about the Leps-l mailing list