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agent A

agent A

the autistic flower mantis
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4th instar larva

they grow quickly on ailanthus

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7670295026_e7cb642ef2.jpg


more to come!!

 
They are interesting! Are they always that color with each instar?

My Luna cats have survived the heat (several 90 degree days) and heavy rains in rearing sleeves. I've only lost a few of them. The first cats are starting to make cocoons now. I am hoping that they are ones that will diapause, but we'll see. Last year I had about 16 - 18 that made cocoons in late July and did not eclose until this spring. But I had another handful that eclosed in August. It gets tough to raise a second generation in Minnesota because the leaves on the birch trees often start to change before they make cocoons. From that second generation, I mated a few pair but only a few of them survived to make cocoons because of the leaves turning yellow and falling off. Unfortunately I mixed them in with my others that were just one generation. I'm not sure which I mated, but I'd rather just raise one generation of lunas a year.

 
sueb4653 said:
ok what is a rearing sleeve?
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It's like a cloth sock u put over a branch for the cats and it prevents them from escaping and predators other than earwigs and tiny spiders (niether bother fully grown larvae) from entering

Tammy Wolfe said:
They are interesting! Are they always that color with each instar?

My Luna cats have survived the heat (several 90 degree days) and heavy rains in rearing sleeves. I've only lost a few of them. The first cats are starting to make cocoons now. I am hoping that they are ones that will diapause, but we'll see. Last year I had about 16 - 18 that made cocoons in late July and did not eclose until this spring. But I had another handful that eclosed in August. It gets tough to raise a second generation in Minnesota because the leaves on the birch trees often start to change before they make cocoons. From that second generation, I mated a few pair but only a few of them survived to make cocoons because of the leaves turning yellow and falling off. Unfortunately I mixed them in with my others that were just one generation. I'm not sure which I mated, but I'd rather just raise one generation of lunas a year.
Click to expand...
They start out yellowish and develop black spots

They don't look like the pic until 4th and 5th instar

In your area Lunas have a partial second brood meaning some cats diapause others make a second brood

It has to do with daylight hours so don't worry abt mixing the 2 groups and birch looses leaves early I use hickory or sweetgum to avoid this issue

I find they grow faster in a sleeve and though there r more losses u have bigger stronger cats in the end

 
agent A said:
In your area Lunas have a partial second brood meaning some cats diapause others make a second brood

It has to do with daylight hours so don't worry abt mixing the 2 groups and birch looses leaves early I use hickory or sweetgum to avoid this issue

I find they grow faster in a sleeve and though there r more losses u have bigger stronger cats in the end
Click to expand...
My initial Luna cats were always one generation for a few years until I aquired some more stock from someone else who got some of his from the south. That year over half of the new stock eclosed, and I had to raise a second generation. If it's weather related, it's really strange that I can have them all in the same sleeve and some will eclose in August while others overwinter as pupae after just one generation. The seller had the same experience and that was his theory.I find that my Luna cats do better reared in sleeves than they do indoors. It's just a little hard to clean up the frass. Speaking of sleeves, where did you buy yours?

I ordered one that I love 3 - 4 years ago. The person made it sound like he made it himself, but I noticed a tag that was cut off. The top of the label matches my butterfly castle tags. However, the rearing sleeves they sell nowadays look nothing like the one I have. They have plastic on them are are only open on one end. I fear that it gets too hot inside with the plastic on 90 degree days, and I've had more losses with those. The one I have that I like is open on both ends and has ties on each end. It's all net material but has some supports. It gives you more flexibility regarding placement when it's open on both ends.

 
Tammy Wolfe said:
I find that my Luna cats do better reared in sleeves than they do indoors. It's just a little hard to clean up the frass. Speaking of sleeves, where did you buy yours?

I ordered one that I love 3 - 4 years ago. The person made it sound like he made it himself, but I noticed a tag that was cut off. The top of the label matches my butterfly castle tags. However, the rearing sleeves they sell nowadays look nothing like the one I have. They have plastic on them are are only open on one end. I fear that it gets too hot inside with the plastic on 90 degree days, and I've had more losses with those. The one I have that I like is open on both ends and has ties on each end. It's all net material but has some supports. It gives you more flexibility regarding placement when it's open on both ends.
Click to expand...
bill oehlkew's sleeves r EXCELLENT!! they r thin strong cloth material like a sock (funny story abt the cynthia one, i was at the ailanthus tree today and a few stoners came to the tree and called the sleeve a "branch condom" and touched the tree in an innapropriate way but the thing is ailanthus leaflets have scent glands and they were really scared of the foul odor the tree left on their palms and when i told them the tree is highly toxic they gave me a hard time abt playing with the tree so i said i was immune and they kinda just walked away, such immature peeps around here :mad: ) and u put it over the tree like a sock and tie of the end with string and they r real nice and since i am a member of WLSS i get them at a discount so i could buy u a bunch and u reimburse me for them and i send them to u so u get in on the discount as well...

 

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