Reared from larval stage

Animals collected as juveniles or eggs and reared up to larval stage, pupation or metamorphosis to adults.

Must be the same individual(s) through a time series, preferably showing each instar (stage between moults)

A project collecting data on species reared from egg or larva or pupa to adulthood.

This is a project for ALL taxa, not just the obvious moths, butterflies, flies, beetles and wasps.

This is a real cool project - not only for adults but kids as well. Simply next time you find a caterpillar or grub eating your plants, collect it, put it in a jar with some air holes and some soil** (or a plastic ice-cream box with air holes) and feed it.
[otherwise some species will just die instead of pupating].
After a few days to weeks it will pupate and the pupae can be transferred to a container (with a stick inside) to await the metamorphosis to a moth, butterfly, beetle, fly - or: and dont be despondent a parasitic wasp or fly.
[**otherwise the adult might not be able to hang to dry its wings and become deformed]

Remember to photograph each time the caterpillar moves into a new skin (a new instar), and the pupae and the moth that emerges. And put them on iNat.

There is a forum for those interested in tips for rearing and what problems arise (too humid, wrong foods, etc): see hopefully coming soon!!

Dont forget to add an interaction to the foodplant. And if you are fortunate enough to hatch parasitoids, then make them an interaction as well!

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 18, 2017 02:21 אחה"צ על ידי tonyrebelo