Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello from the UK. Ive just taken delivery of three Atlas Moth Pupae, to tell the truth a few weeks ago i ordered them for my five year old to observe and wonder at, and totally forgot i had ordered them. Now ive never hatched anything before and i need some advice. At the moment they are still in their plastic transit box in cotton wool. Plan is to give one each to my lad friends so they can enjoy the wonder of it all.... how do i keep them?...its getting colder here as its Autumn, do they need heat?.. moisture and hows it best achieved with normal household stuff.... who know this time next year we might be so enthused the house is full of them!..thanks for any advice... Jon

Hello Jon,

What a treat! I have only seen dead ones so I envy you

I am in the states and rear only indigenous to here. I looked in a couple books but could not find anything definitive for you. I would suggest asking on www.insectnet.com. It has a more global audience and I am sure you can get some first hand info. There is a genral forum and then specifics, so post directly on the Lepidoptera and maybe the genreal one, too so you don't miss anyone! I never tire of raising the wild silkmoths.

enjoy! would love to see pics when they eclose

lele

>>hello from the UK. Ive just taken delivery of three Atlas Moth Pupae, to tell the truth a few weeks ago i ordered them for my five year old to observe and wonder at, and totally forgot i had ordered them. Now ive never hatched anything before and i need some advice. At the moment they are still in their plastic transit box in cotton wool. Plan is to give one each to my lad friends so they can enjoy the wonder of it all.... how do i keep them?...its getting colder here as its Autumn, do they need heat?.. moisture and hows it best achieved with normal household stuff.... who know this time next year we might be so enthused the house is full of them!..thanks for any advice... Jon

well thanks for the reply and link. Currently they are in a plastic tub. taped to the side, with wet cotton wool on the base and in a warm cupboard. Im hoping i get something to hatch! i couldn't find any Atlas moth specific info, but i gleaned that Pupae need humidity and warmth... here's hoping, and yes i will take some pic's if it all works...cheers jon

Jon - just be careful that they don't get moldy as that will surely kill them. Humidity and warmth are probably OK, but in a closed cabinet, it could mold very quickly. I mist mine once or twice all winter and keep them in the fridge, but that is for the species that need the long diapause. Of course it would be different where you live. Oh, one other thing I did find in one of my books - the diapause (pupal stage) is determined on light, so you will want to expose it to normal day length. If you plant to raise any other silkmoths, there is a great book published by the Amateur Entomologist Society in the UK called: The Silkmoth Rearer's Handbook by Brian Gardiner.

I did find another link (below) that says the will remain in pupa for 4 weeks, but that is in Singapore.

lele

here is one of my cecropia caterpillar's just after a molt (see shed skin) and one of a male luna

Atlas rearing

thank for that, so they need light to hatch? Its not a closed box but has holes in the top, i will keep and eye out for mold etc. thanks. jon

when there is minimal information available (or I simply cannot find it) I always take my cues from nature. For instance, our cecropia moth would normally spend the winter exposed to all the elements (snow, wind rain, freezing temps) and day length. So, when we keep them in captivity we must mimic it as close as possible. The day length (photo period) is often more crucial than the temps since temperatures can vary widely every season, but day lengths are set all year. Since the Atlas Moth is from Southeast Asia it would likely eclose (emerge from cocoon) in a matter of weeks (as that website said). If it does not have the proper day length it may not get its "cue" to eclose and die in the pupa. I am only speculating from my own experience.

lele

well thanks for the tips, there seems to be little information on the net about it. My boy who's five dos'nt believe there's a moth in there, i hope to prove him wrong.

i fear that all have died, brown bread, they are no more, they have gon to join the quire invisibule..... sad end after a short life.