The first breeding of the year: indoor rearing of Actias selene. This very young larva - about 8 mms only - accepts our winter green Vaccinium vitis idaea. Originally this species breeds in China and adjacent countries.

Febr 11, 2008

PICTURE GALLERY

2008

a glimpse of  photographs

Please enjoy!

Göran Waldeck

April 21, two females of Actias selene emerged, here is one of them with exceptional long tails.

Actias selene ningboana is a subspecies found in southern China. Here is a female which emerged June 12.


Endromis versicolora Linnaeus 1758

First emerging of the year, a female Endromis versicolora, Mars 30, 2008.

She will not fly away until she is mated

This versicolora pair mated when the temp was minus 4 Centigrades, April 11

Larvae from the mating above. May 31. The young larvae are very social and stay together. To avoid discovery they rise their heads and do not move. Foodplant: Betula.



Aglia tau Linnaeus 1758

A wild male attracted by the pheromones of a bred female. Photo © Jonas Waldeck.

Aglia tau pair mating, May 3. Aglia tau is mostly active daytime.


Epicnaptera / Phyllodesma ilicifolia Linnaeus 1758

May 14

A female adult has just crawled out of its yellowish cocoon trying to find a place to fold out her wings.

The larva was found last year on Vaccinium myrtillus and pupated well.

After 20 minutes the procedure is completed

May 15. The female was put into a pairing trap over the night and placed on the spot where the larva once was found.

In the morning a male was in the trap and the mating was already finished.

June 11. An ilicifolia egg has hatched on a Vaccinium myrtillus leaf. Here shown with larva 3 mms of lengh.


Araschnia levana Linnaeus 1758

May 15. A pupa from previous year emerged. The adult female is drying its wings on its foodplant Urtica dioica.

The female has more rounded forewings and heavier abdomen than the male. May 15.


Eudia pavonia Linnaeus 1758

May 15. Also hibernation from previous year, a male today emerged from its cocoon.


Cosmotriche lunigera Esper 1784

Cosmotriche lunigera male just emerged from its pupa & soft cocoon May 28. Lunigera larvae are feeding from pine trees.


Mimas tiliae Linnaeus 1758

Mimas tiliae female has just left its pupal case and started to form the wings

Now the wings are ready but still very soft

Mimas tiliae female in normal position, tiliae is one of our most colourful hawk moths. This specimen is from larva pupated in 2007. Emerged May 28.

The tiliae male is smaller, the reddish parts on the forewings are substituted with a whitish colour, the antennae are wider. June 2.

Another tiliae male will show the variety in colour. This specimen has even more white forewings. June 8.

A tilia female with crippled wings (above) was set out in a mating trap in the evening June 7; in the morning June 8 there was a wild male mating her.

June 9. The tilia female has laid on a tilia leaf and twig a lot of oval eggs during the night. Size1 mm.


Brahmaea hearseyi White 1862

Brahmaea hearseyi larva, two weeks old, placing its body in a sphinx position. May 30. Breeding area of this species is South East Asia. In captivity the larva accepts well ligustrum as foodplant.

The larva is growing very fast, here trying to scare away a potential enemy, June 5.

The last instar larva has left its skin and long horns behind, long feet attach the larva to the ligustrum twig. June 5.

When the huge orange, turquoise, black and white larva is full-grown, it is moving to the ground searching for place to pupate. June 10.


Cerura erminea Esper 1783

Wooly Cerura erminea female drying its wings after emerging from its pupa inside the cocoon made of wooden material. June 6.

The wings in normal position. June 7. In the cage there was also an erminea male. I assume there was a mating during last night as some peculiar, orange and green flat eggs already have been laid.


Cerura vinula Linnaeus 1758

Cerura vinula pair mating on a tree trunc. The male with glassine wings to the right. June 10.


Hybocampa milhauseri Fabricius 1775

Hybocampa milhauseri male just emerged. He has cut a hole in his, on a twig attached, papered cocoon. June 13.


Creatonotos gangis Linnaeus 1763

C gangis belonging to the Arctiidae group, breeds in Southern Asia and is pest on cultivated plants as sugar cane and rice. June 15.


Pericallia matronula Linnaeus 1758

P matronula is a giant and the biggest of all European Arctiidae. This female emerged June 19. The larvae from last year hibernated in the snow.


Euproctis similis Fuessly 1775

Euproctis similis male has a dark spot on forewings and much hairy legs. July 20.


Euproctis chrysorrhoea Linnaeus 1758

Euproctis crysorrhoea is an extremely rarely seen species in our area. This larva is resting on an apple leaf.  July 1.


Lymantria dispar Linnaeus 1758

Lymantria dismar female drying its wings after emerging from the pupa. July 21.

After a while the wings are placed in the normal resting position. July 21.

The L dispar male is much smaller, coloured dark grey with blackish, wavy lines. July 23.


Actias dubernardi Oberthür 1897

Dubernardi larvae with silver spots, here feeding on Pinus silvestris L. Aug 27.



Epiphora bauhini

Epiphora bauhini female finally emerged Sept 17. This nice silk moth breeds in Senegal


Copyright © 2008 Göran Waldeck   All rights reserved

Last updated Sept 17, 2008