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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:09:35 GMT
As winter quickly approached I ventured out in effort to collect some of the remaining leps, including the marvelous Polygonias that emerged in VERY LARGE numbers this fall! Among all the specimens I collected a single Tongeia female in which I saved to try to breed. (The picture below is not mine!)
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:17:38 GMT
I picked a handful of host plant and stuck it in a bottle along with the female. I hanged this bottle on my window and checked very frequently for eggs to no avail, within three days my female was dead. I cut the bottle open and when I was about to give up the sight of a speck brightened my day. It wasn’t just one egg, there were many, each carefully deposited on the host leaves.
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:21:32 GMT
I cut the host into different sections and placed the cuttings into petri dishes.
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:22:24 GMT
Larvae getting fat!
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:47:58 GMT
Pupating larva!
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:48:57 GMT
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:51:10 GMT
The host plant
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:53:01 GMT
Lets play a game! Can you spot the host?
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2018 8:54:32 GMT
I hope someone will find this interesting or useful. Feel free to comment and ask questions!
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Post by mcheki on Jan 7, 2018 19:32:15 GMT
Lets play a game! Can you spot the host? It's behind you!!!!
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Post by Ed on Jan 8, 2018 1:40:37 GMT
Lets play a game! Can you spot the host? It's behind you!!!! Haha, clever! There is some in the picture as well, you just have to look closely!
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Post by trehopr1 on Jan 8, 2018 5:02:17 GMT
I am most impressed with your success in breeding this butterfly through. Your experience shows. Rather ingenious use of Petri dishes along with careful nurturing ! Bravo...
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Post by luehdorfia on Jan 8, 2018 6:41:02 GMT
Really great job! Send us photos when they hatch, they must look fantastic when freshly hatched!
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Post by Ed on Jan 8, 2018 14:00:55 GMT
Really great job! Send us photos when they hatch, they must look fantastic when freshly hatched! It is quite unfortunate but all my pupae emerged into their incubator while I was out of the country. Now they are just specimens in envelopes!
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Post by Ed on Jan 8, 2018 14:10:59 GMT
I am most impressed with your success in breeding this butterfly through. Your experience shows. Rather ingenious use of Petri dishes along with careful nurturing ! Bravo... Trehopr thankyou for you kind words, but I must point out that I dont have much experience with rearing at all! It seems as every time I touch something living it dies, I don't even need to pinch it! In this case I separated groups of larva into each petri dish so If I messed up they wouldent all die. I am getting better at rearing though. all I need now is a green house! Ed
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