cecropia larvae

[DR. JAMES ADAMS]

Just a couple of comments:

	If you begin to see individuals with blackish discoloration 
(typically in "spots") make sure you remove *all* individuals from 
the container that the "spotted" individuals are in and separate 
them.  Kurt may not have had many problems with Cecropias, but 
there are many of us out here who have.  Separating individuals is 
a pretty good idea anyway, just to reduce possibility of 
transmission of disease.

	Lilac actually is a pretty good host.  My mom once reared a 
bunch of Cecropia on a moderate sized Lilac bush in her yard.  
She had to leave town for a few days and bagged the larvae on the 
entire bush.  She came back to find the bush completely denuded 
and the larvae gone (through chewed holes in the bag).  So lilac 
works well.  And for that matter, a lot of times once you start larvae 
on one food source, it is often difficult to change them to another.  
Box Elder is good, but they may not switch readily if they have 
already been feeding on Lilac.

		James

Dr. James K. Adams
Dept. of Natural Science and Math
Dalton State College
213 N. College Drive
Dalton, GA  30720
Phone: (706)272-4427; fax: (706)272-2533
U of Michigan's President James Angell's 
  Secret of Success: "Grow antennae, not horns"