Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1).I have a few Goliath Horned worms that are at adult size. I need to know what the easiest way is to get them into the cocoon phase. I have been successful with some, but others just leak black liquid and end up dying.
2).I also need to know the complete life cycle of the worms. For example, how long does it take for the eggs to hatch and what temperatures to keep them at? Do I have to mate the worms to get babies or do I just need a female by herself?
3).Also, I have one worm still in the cocoon phase. I bought these worms back in December and this one worm has been in the cocoon phase since January.
4).This is an interesting question; Why do some of the horned worms turn black? I have had a few do this when they were only an inch long and they stayed this way until they grew to 4 inches about 10 days later. The black ones are still alive and act the same way as the green ones.

can only give you a quick reply for now and will try to answer more later. Here are a few sites for info. What state do you live in? Here in the northeast they will remain in their pupal stage for 9-11 months.

http://insected.arizona.edu/manduca/manual.html

http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~dolzer/mas_pics.html

http://www.entm.purdue.edu/Entomology/outreach/recipe/hornworm.rearing.htm

http://www.acad.carleton.edu/curricular/BIOL/resources/rlink/description1b.html
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia (MIA
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

I tried to breed these guys with limited success. When they turn dark and you see a vein running the length of the back they are ready to pupate. These guys need to dig several inches into the ground to undergo this change. Mine transformed within several weeks, but I imagine these pupae usually cool over the winter and hatch out in spring. I did get fertile eggs but was not able to hatch them out, they may need to cool like silkworm eggs? I would be interested in more info as well. Thanks