Painted Lady Food

[Sharyn Fernandez]

This commercially available food was either too moist or something not good
by the time I received it just a month ago; versus that received two months
ago. I had two batches of caterpillars (33 each) I switched to HOllyhock
after most of one of the batches died three days after putting them on the
"fresh" media immediately after received; of the second (larger in size
batch) only eight are still remaining; don't know yet if they'll pupate. I
tried to call (INsect Lore) not as a put down, but to see if it was the
nutrient media, (the larvae just "liquified" suddenly - I check them twice
a day - anyway I've been using their caterpillars off and on for about two
years for various projects; this is the first time this has happened. I've
had from  90-100% maturity to 50% (which I would say is a realistic
expectation considering temperature/humidity - but I don't have the benefit
of a microscope to know what's really going on...

I hope is was just the media - and that it can be modified (less moisture )
because it seems to work fine other wise (ref. www. insectlore.com). It
costs $9 for about a pint - more than enough for 40 or so larvae

 >this recipe is comercially available I believe, might end up more economical.

Sharyn Fernandez, Concord CA

Butterflies & Botany