# Can you buy live moths or kits?



## lorriekay56 (Sep 5, 2005)

I was wondering if there is a place to buy live moths? There are lots of butterfly sites but none who have moths. I know, most people catch them, but if there was a way to breed them, they are a good food source for mantises?


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## PseudoDave (Sep 5, 2005)

I found places here in the uk for moth pupa but i'm not sure on any in your country. If you go somewhere like yahoo or google, the best thing you can do is find the species you're afters details and search for it, all you can do is hope you find a site selling them. Found a few this way and have still got a few species of silk-moth breeding as a result. Very easy species to keep by the way and make good food sources. The lavae are brilliant for lizards as well, moths are brilliant for the mantids. Plus, you get silk, of different colours depending on the species, to play with also  Putting a wanted ad on the terrastik insect ad site would probably get some results from breeders/collectors to.

Good luck,

Dave


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## PseudoDave (Sep 5, 2005)

This is a good write-up on silkworm rearing and harvesting...

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/197...ilkworm_Culture

Only thing i dont agree with on there is that it is necessary to kill the developing moth to harvest the silk, it's not. The silk is just the animals natural defense, it can develop without it.


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## Ian (Sep 5, 2005)

you can try www.wwb.co.uk They have a lot of moths in sometimes. www.bugsdirectuk.com Joe has moths occasionally, although, at this time, I think only atlas moth cocoon. If you search for any other butterfly houses, they usually sell moths.

Cheers,

Ian


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## lorriekay56 (Sep 7, 2005)

Thanks again!! The website looks like a good source for moths!!

I really appreciate all the feedback and advice!


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## Chris Dickie (Sep 9, 2005)

joe doesn't export ouside europe but world wide butterflies does, hence world wide I guess, lol :lol:


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## lorriekay56 (Sep 15, 2005)

Does anyone know of sites in the US?


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## Obie (Sep 15, 2005)

I rear a lot of different exotic moths, and I do sometimes feed a few culls to my mantids and reptiles. The problem is that many of the ones I have are actually worth more than what I would feed them to!

Here is an example of a moth I rear (Antherina suraka)





And here are some Argema mittrei larvae I am raising up right now





While its tempting to view them as a potential food source...the A. mittrei are actually worth more than $20 each...

Silkworms are a more economical choice. Here is a supplier in the US:

http://www.californiasilkworms.com/catalog/

Obie


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## Ian (Sep 15, 2005)

wow obie, beautiful  

Cheers,

Ian


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