Sharing Caterpillars

[Doug Yanega]

>I live in California and have grown fennel next to the sidewalk for years.
>People collect caterpillars regularly. I feel rather ambivalent about this.
>On the one hand I am glad that they know about anise swallowtails and enjoy
>them, but on the other hand I think that the insects would be much better
>off if these people took the  time to grow some butterfly plants themselves.
>
>I am considering posting a sign asking the collectors to "give back" in some
>way. I thought about asking them to pay, but that's not what I want. I want
>to promote butterfly gardening and insect study. Has anybody got any ideas?

Sure, but it's a bit of work. Make a "Rogue's Gallery" bulletin board of
photos of butterflies people have reared from caterpillars they've taken
from your garden - asking that anyone who takes a caterpillar signs up, and
gives back a photo later. No more anonymous larva-pinching, and it'd be
some phenomenal PR. Prolly even getcha on the local news. ;-)

Peace,


Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
                http://insects.ucr.edu/staff/yanega.html
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82