Luna Moth help

[bugmankeith]

I received 3 live Luna Moth cocoons from a science museum, they were raised in captivity, but they were from wild parents caught here this year. They are from NY area (where I live) so are native I guess they needed some for the butterfly and moth exhibit or captive breeding as luna's are near endangered here from pollution,pesticides, and light pollution, these were extras they had nearly a hundred!

The instructions given were to release them and how to do it especially as every one is important in our area.

I got 2 males and 1 female and they just hatched this week. last week in July, first week August. I released them at night near host trees and they flew away into the night.

The trouble is, I dont know what months lunas breed here? Lets say 2nd week in July eggs are laid, what month will caterpillars be mature? Will it be cold before they can mature? I thought being they were raised inside the adults matured later than wild specimens perhaps, but i'm not sure even.

I estimated around september they should mature, I know we get no freezing temps in september so they should be ok if they can cocoon then but again I dont know for sure how long egg to pupa is for this species?

 

[un33dit]

I wish I saw this sooner! I also live on Long Island and have dabbled in Saturniidae. I currently have a pair of Antherea polythemus cocoons. My father found the caterpillars on his birch tree.

As for Luna, there is only one brood here May thru July. There is a good chance that if the female lays eggs that they will not mature in time. If you get a chance to do this again, you could put them in a paper bag. The female will lay eggs on the bag that you can easily remove and put into a deli container and store in the fridge over the winter then take it out in the spring when foodplants become available again.

Here is some info on Luna:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Actias-luna

-Gary

 

[bugmankeith]

I wish I saw this sooner! I also live on Long Island and have dabbled in Saturniidae. I currently have a pair of Antherea polythemus cocoons. My father found the caterpillars on his birch tree.

As for Luna, there is only one brood here May thru July. There is a good chance that if the female lays eggs that they will not mature in time. If you get a chance to do this again, you could put them in a paper bag. The female will lay eggs on the bag that you can easily remove and put into a deli container and store in the fridge over the winter then take it out in the spring when foodplants become available again.

Here is some info on Luna:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Actias-luna

-Gary

That is a help. Now my question is I still have pupae that started maturing but stopped yet are alive, I assume in hibernation. The trouble is they are NOT in the protective cocoon they are in a critter keeper. I know they won't hatch until next year, is is safe to keep the critter keeper in my garage all winter if they don't have a cocoon around? Its the only way they won't hatch inside where it will be warm, I want them to hatch in spring.

 

[un33dit]

They should be OK. Of course there would be no question if the pupa was still in the cocoon.I assume you got them that way?

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[bugmankeith]

They should be OK. Of course there would be no question if the pupa was still in the cocoon.I assume you got them that way?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 4

Yup. In my garage no snow would get on them they would stay dry so I think they will be ok.

 

[un33dit]

OK. I know people like to sex them so they take them out of the cocoon. The best way is to take a sharp razor blade and just make a slit in it so that you are still able to sex it without destroying the cocoon. Do you know what you have? I found this thread while searching for Luna moth cocoons on google. I am looking for some to buy. I would also love to find cecropia. I've had issues in the past, so I would like to find someone local

 

[Galapoheros]

I've been feeling the decline in these large moths is not so much pollution and light pollution but from the local release of parasitic wasps and flies to control caterpillar pests. I put a couple of dozen polyphemus moth caterpillars on a tree small enough that I could keep an eye on them and every one of them was parasitized and died, a fly species, I could see it flying around and injecting the eggs. Glad I'm not a caterpillar lol.