Building or buying a caterpillar house

[James Kruse]

In the mid 1980's when I still lived in Wisconsin, I began finding my net
sleeves open. At first I thought I was forgetting to close them up, and then
I began thinking that some 'people for the liberation of animals' was trying
to set my captives free. Low and behold (and I observed it numerous times) a
particular yellow-billed cuckoo (bird) was untying the twist-ties I had
holding the sleeves around the base of the branches using its bill and
holding the sleeve and part of the tie with one of its feet. The bird hopped
in, threw several larvae to the ground, and ate what it wanted and left the
rest. Now the feeding strategy itself was interesting as it looked like the
larva was pummeled against the ground and stripped of ornamentation and some
skin before being eaten (they were very large Antheraea larvae).

At first I was mad, but amazed at the ability that this bird demonstrated. I
was no longer wishing the bird ill, but it met its demise weeks later
against a window, chasing male promethea moths being attracted to a female
that had emerged earlier in the day.

James J. Kruse, Ph.D.
Curator of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
907 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK, USA 99775-6960
tel 907.474.5579
fax 907.474.1987
http://www.uaf.edu/museum/ento


on 10/4/01 4:31 PM, Bill Cornelius at billcor at mail.mcn.org wrote:

> Lodewyk:
> A net sleeve around the hostplant will keep most predators out. Like an
> old sheer window curtain, folded over & sewn into a large bag shape,
> slipped over the plant , and closed tightly with a drawstring or
> twist-tie.
> Bill
> 


 
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