ENT. Soc. OF BHITTSH COLUMBIA, PUOCEEIlIKGS, 1944, VOL. 41, DEC. 8, 1944 19 SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN BREEDING LEPIDOPTERA J. R. J. LLEWELLYN JONES Cobble Hill, B. C. INTRODUCTION.-Why breed Lepid­ (5) An opportunity is afforded for ex­ optera 1 There are several good reasons. periments in the field of hybridization. ( I) Anyone desiring a good collection of With Lepidoptera this is a somewhat dif­ Lepidoptera will find that breeding gi ves ficult task, and has only been successful him an ample supply of specimens for his in some cases where closely allied species collection which are in the best possibl e were involved. condition. Hybrids have been recorded as resulting from the mating of Smerinthus populi (2) In th e case of species which arc Linn. a British species resembling very I iable to considerable variation, a better much a small specimen of our Pachysphinx opportunity is afforded of obtaining a good modesta Harris, and Smerinthus ocellatus se ries, which will show not only the ex­ Linn., also a British species, resembling tremes of variation, but also the inter­ ,"ery closely our Smerinthus cerisyi opthal­ mediate stages, thus making the se ri es of micus Bdv. The resultant moth is of an far greater interes t. attractive appearance and may be seen in (3) Breeding affords an opportunity to a few of the larger collections in Great observe, note carefully and record the Britain, chiefly those in museums. various stages in the metamorphosis of a Another exampl e is the crossing of lepidopteron and to stress any pec uliarities .M alacosoma neustria Linn. and M alaco­ noticed. Much of interest will be noted soma castrensis Linn., both British species . in regard to the life histories thus obtained, A figure of the resultant larva is given and this should be entered in the "breed­ by South in his "Moths of the British Isles, ing records." Hitherto unrecorded inform­ Part I," together with brief remarks on ation may be obtained and the sum total the experiments. of scientific knowledge enhanced. A f ew years ago the author succeeded (4) Occasionally the breeder will be re­ in crossing a male N otolophus antiqua warded for his efforts by one or more un­ badia Hy. Edw. with a female H emero­ usual forms appearing in his cages as the campa pseudotsugata Mc D. (Ent. Soc. imagines duly emerge. As an example of Brit. Col., Proc. 36: 14-15. 1940.) this, the author records that in breeding a Enough has now been said to indicate series of C osmotriche pototaria Linn., the that the breeding of Lepidoptera is in no drinker moth, a British species, he obtained sense a waste of time or energy, but on the a number of females whose colour was contrary possesses a very real scientific and brown rather than straw coloured, as is the economic value apart from its being the case in typical females. best method of obtaining a plentiful sup­ The cause of the variation was not as­ ply of specimens for the collection; and certained, unless it was due to the fact that a good collection is in itself of consider­ the larvae, which had been collected in able value educationally. varying degrees of maturity, were sub­ We now turn to the consideration of ject to ncar asphyxiation in tin boxes on the ways and means to successful breeding. way home and had to be resuscitated by These may best be considered under three administering fresh air in quantity to re­ heads: store the larvae to health. Could this have been the reason for the unusual female A. Concerning ova. forms1 Experiments of a similar nature B. Concerning larvae. on other larvae might furnish the answer. C. Concerning pupae. 20 E1'iT. Soc. 0 1. BI!lTISll C orX~ IBI.\ , P UOCEEIH1'i GS, 1944, VOL. 41, DEC. 8, 1944 A. Concerning Ova simple. Many moths' deposit their eggs free ly even when confined in a match The most valuable res ults will be ob­ box, chip box, or any other receptacle. This tained by rea ring from the egg. It en ­ is true of many of the Arctiidae, as tails the expenditure of more troubl e than Arctia L., some Sphingidae as breeding from the later stages, but the caja Smerinthus cerisyi ophthalmicus Bdv., many of the results from information and data of all Pha laen idae and G eom etridae. kinds, also in most cases the large number Butterflies are more difficult and re­ of in sects obtained, will well repay the quire a large cage attractively furnished care needed. tu th eir liking. The old f as hi oned mea t Ova may be obtained in several ways. sa f e is quite useftil for this purpose. Air ( I ) They may be searched f or in li h ly and sunshine are essential. The former places, such as on foliage of trees and must not be overlooked, as butterfli es arc shrubs, on twigs and branches, or in the \"e l"\" subj ect to sun stroke, if the ve ntila­ crevices of bark. A lso they may he found ti()~ system of the cage is bad. Glass is a on the cocoons of apterOLi s females as in dan (Te rous substance in the constructi on of th e case of N otolophus antiqua badia and cag~s unless good ve ntilation is ass ured. H em.erocampa pseltdotsugata. III fact f ew O th tr requirements are, the presence of places should escape a sea rch ; the hest th e: foud plant, som e flowers to supply requisites for Sll ccess are keen eyesight alld nou rishment to the butterflies, or failing patience. th ese a wad of cotton wool soaked in sugar (2) It is sometimes possible to follow a and water or a little honey; water too female while she is engaged in laying her shou ld not be ove rlooked. This is probably eggs, note where she se ttles and after her bes t introduced by placing on the fl oor of departure, collect the eggs. By th is m ethud tht: cage a layer of moss which can be well the author has obtained ova of Papilio dampcllcd from time to tIme. In cases eurymedon Luc., Poly gonia 01"{)(tS silenus where the f emale is disinclined to lay, it Ed w. and Vanessa cardui L. has hee n suggested that the introducti on of one or more males m ight induce the recal­ (3) By m eans of a virgin f emale. citrant f emale to commence operations. A newly emerged f em ale will often at­ To sum up. Conditions should be made tract one or m ore of the opposite sex. T h is as natural as possible and anything which is a well known feature with certain suggests itself to the lepidopterist as con­ species, such as the British Lasiocarn.pa ducive to oviposition should be included. quercus, the oak eggar, and Saturnia In th e above manner PapiLio zelicaon Luc., pavonia, the emperor m oth, f emales of Polygonia satyrus Edw. and Vanessa cardui which will attract males from a consider­ to m ention only a f ew, may be induced able distance; males will even enter houses to lay. to get to the lady of their choice. The Some of the m ore difficult hawk moth:; apterous females of N otolophus antiqua such as CeLerio galLii intermedia Kirby, and badia and H emerocampa pseudotsugata C elerio lineata Fabr. will oviposit if give n also have this power of attraction well plmty of room and their f ood plant. developed. Son1e species of N otodontidac, T elea polyphemus Cram. and Platy­ the prominents, m ay be cited, for example, samia euryalus Bdv. will lay fairly freely Pheosia portlandia H y. Ed w. A crippled in any good sized cage or container. The f emale was placed on the trunk of a ()\'a arc frequently deposited on the sides poplar; next day a male was found in of the cage or box. attendance and in due course fertile ova H av in g then obtained ova, our labours were obtined and a fin e series of imagines begin. reared. Eggs should be kept reasonably cool. ( 4) By persuading captured f emales to A porch or veranda is very suitabl e or ov ipos it. In so me in sta nces th is is not at fa il in g that, a room with a northerly as­ all easy. In others it is comparati ve ly pect. This is especially important in cases EXT. SOC. or BllrnSH COLU:\fBI.\ , PHon:'·:IJ!."\(;S, 1944, VOl.. 41 , D,·; (". 8, 1944 21 where the winter months are spent in this either to obtain the information from state, as, if the ova are kept too warm, hcoks, or from some other lepidopterist, or there is grave danger of the larvae hatch­ from any lists of f ood plants that may be ing hefore the food plant is available in at hand. Failing the above sources try by the spring. experiment to asce rtain the food required. Inspec ti on should be frequent, and Take a roomy tin and place in it samples dail y if the ova are noticed to change of as many pl ants, trees, or shrubs as may col(; ur, as this often points to early hatch­ be deemed likely to be acceptable to the mg. larvae. In many cases they will quickly se­ FERTILE AND INFER'rILE OVA.-To lect one or more of the plants offered and determine whether ova are f ertile or feed sa tisfactorily upon them.