Favourite time of the year

[Camman1983]

Finally!! I get to look forward to these guys hatching out. Found my first of the new arrivals (they should come thick and fast over the next few weeks) then I have to wait another year

 

[schmiggle]

View attachment 259636 View attachment 259635 Finally!! I get to look forward to these guys hatching out. Found my first of the new arrivals (they should come thick and fast over the next few weeks) then I have to wait another year

These are absolutely stunning!

 

[Camman1983]

Better not leave out our other Xmas specials. Commonly known as Xmas beetles, Rhinoceros beetles and the noisy cicadas - sort of get left behind with my excitement of the months but worth a look.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Have you ever considered rearing the hercules moths? If they're anything like other saturniids it should be easy to collect the eggs from females and grow the caterpillars.

 

[Camman1983]

Definitely considered it. I've seen places that do it but they have huge enclosures dedicated to it.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Definitely considered it. I've seen places that do it but they have huge enclosures dedicated to it.

You don't even need an enclosure to raise saturniid caterpillars. As long as you keep them supplied with fresh leafy branches they don't typically wander from their food. I keep my caterpillars in open bins without lids, the bin is mostly just to catch the frass.

 

[Camman1983]

No. 2 a nice male

 

[Camman1983]

Also this guy I think it's a male as well

 

[Camman1983]

You don't even need an enclosure to raise saturniid caterpillars. As long as you keep them supplied with fresh leafy branches they don't typically wander from their food. I keep my caterpillars in open bins without lids, the bin is mostly just to catch the frass.

I might do my homework and look into growing some out. I would love an army of giant moths hatching out and flying away every Xmas. I wonder how easy the food source plants are to grow (I imagine those huge caterpillars have a big appetite). I'm thinking an old outdoor bird Avery might make a suitable enclosures to keep predators out (and cheap to aquire) - do you keep your bins indoors? Any issues with birds eating your caterpillars?

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I might do my homework and look into growing some out. I would love an army of giant moths hatching out and flying away every Xmas. I wonder how easy the food source plants are to grow (I imagine those huge caterpillars have a big appetite). I'm thinking an old outdoor bird Avery might make a suitable enclosures to keep predators out (and cheap to aquire) - do you keep your bins indoors? Any issues with birds eating your caterpillars?

Yeah, I keep the bins indoors. Outdoors they would be eaten by birds and other predators within days.

I also sometimes use a rearing technique called sleeving, which is where you put the caterpillars on a tree and securely cover the branch or entire tree with a large cloth or mesh bag to exclude predators and parasites. A bird aviary sounds good, but it would probably have to be covered with fine mesh or mosquito netting to keep out parasitic wasps and flies.

That male Extatosoma is beautiful btw. Must be a different population from the ones we have in captivity over here, his legs aren't quite shaped the same.

 

[Camman1983]

Probly an endemic sub species like most things found around my area. I've been trying to track down an entomologist in my area to pick their brain. (I've found experts on fish, freshwater crustaceans, frogs and birds so far.)

 

[Camman1983]

Found a nice millipede tonight