cecropia rearing/predation

[Dale Hoyt]

Back in the 1970's, in eastern Indiana, I reared a dozen or so
Cecropia. When they were the size of sausages I had to go out of town
and I wasn't certain that I could supply them with enough food for the
duration. I put them on a lilac bush in the front yard. On my return I
discovered the bush to have a few bare branches but most of the larvae
were still there. Only they had small, white fly (Tachinid?) eggs
stuck to their thoracic segments on top. I carefully picked the eggs
off with forceps and continued to do so daily over the next week or
so. Most of the caterpillars wandered away (or were eaten) but a few
managed to spin cocoons. I never thought to rear any of the parasitic
flies -- I wanted more cecropias in the neighborhood. That didn't
happen, either.

 
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