Rearing caterpillars (1 Viewer)

[Oleander]

I've been rearing caterpillars for a couple of weeks and now it's all going wrong. I found 5 Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillars and it's soon only one left alive. I gotta know what the problem is. I am really careful when I change their food plant and I don't touch them to much, but still they just falls down from the leaves and starts to slowly rolling around upside down.

I just found 3 Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillars and I really want them too survive! Other smaller caterpillars also dies without any reason. If I put them on to the leaves they can't get any grip and just falls down and not any of them are near pupation.

Any ideas?

 

[aflickering]

i can't help personally, but i'd like to point out this old thread as an example of how these things can often go wrong. it's a very entertaining and informative read.

 

[Surreybirder]

They may have been diseased or perhaps the plants have been contaminated in some way. Sometimes larvae are already parasitized before you find them. It's not an exact science.

 

[Oleander]

i can't help personally, but i'd like to point out this old thread as an example of how these things can often go wrong. it's a very entertaining and informative read.

Thanks for that thread aflickering! Helped me alot

Last night I was out in the dark searching for caterpillars and I found 3 ones I can't ID. They look a lot like Puss Moth I think, but I can't find any pictures with the white back that these have.

 

[mothman]

Thanks for that thread aflickering! Helped me alot

Last night I was out in the dark searching for caterpillars and I found 3 ones I can't ID. They look a lot like Puss Moth I think, but I can't find any pictures with the white back that these have.

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Hi Oleander.

I am thinking probably an early instar Sallow Kitten ,They get the darker saddle later on The clue is the slightly scabby appearance that this species has in larval form.

 

[mothman]

I've been rearing caterpillars for a couple of weeks and now it's all going wrong. I found 5 Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillars and it's soon only one left alive. I gotta know what the problem is. I am really careful when I change their food plant and I don't touch them to much, but still they just falls down from the leaves and starts to slowly rolling around upside down.

I just found 3 Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillars and I really want them too survive! Other smaller caterpillars also dies without any reason. If I put them on to the leaves they can't get any grip and just falls down and not any of them are near pupation.

Any ideas?

Small caterpillars are best reared in a box with food just thrown in (not bottled)on the floor,this must be changed daily .

You can handle the caterpillars with a soft camel hair artists paintbrush.

Larger species should be kept on bottled branches ,but stuff the neck of the bottle to prevent drowning.

It is normal for a caterpillar to fall to the floor when touched as this is a defence mechanisim. Just provide a ladder (a piece of bark or something) to enable the caterpillar to climb up into its foodplant again.

Some pupate undeground and will need friable soil to dig down into.

The best rearing method of all is used by the professional breeders and is called 'sleeving' which involves a tube of calico tied at both ends of a branch outside on a growing tree this of coarse depends on you having the correct foodplant in your garden.

these are just bullet points really but I hope they are of some help.

 

[Oleander]

Thanks for your help!

I changed from having a branch in water to putting smaller branches and leaves in boxes a few days ago. That has been working great! And the Poplar caterpillars that I thought were gonna die is now eating again. They were not moving and lying on the side or upside down and slowly moving for several days. Weird.

I find more and more Poplar caterpillars each day and I think I can keep them alive now!

And the Poplar HM pillars don't let go of the leaf if you touch them. Maybe I injured them or something and they needed to recover for a few days

Hi Oleander.

I am thinking probably an early instar Sallow Kitten ,They get the darker saddle later on The clue is the slightly scabby appearance that this species has in larval form.

I don't think it is in a early instar since it's already 3cm long and it says that the fully grown larva should be between 3 and 3,5cm.

 

[mothman]

Hi Oleander.

Unless it is a northern European member of Notodontidae, that we dont get here in the UK, I still think that the spotty appearence is a ringer for F furcula.

 

[Oleander]

Alright then, thank you very much

 

[Oleander]

Today, my last three Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillars started to "crawl" around upside down just like everyone else I had. It looks like they are in pain and want to get rid of it, they have also been pooping green goo.

I have read the thread that aflickering posted, but it did not help and I know that very weird things can happen to caterpillars, but has anyone else experienced this?

 

[Gemnilvr]

Hello, can u please help identify a caterpillar that I have from my front lawn?

 

[Surreybirder]

Not without seeing it