automeris randa

[joachim]

Hi all,

some body living inArizona told me to keep the cocoons dry. They are now almost year old.
I could not find the post. Any ideas?

Joachim

[kevinkk]

I think the standard for Arizona stock is to keep them dry and cool for overwintering. At least that's the usual instructions I get from
the breeder I know in Tucson. That advice is fine, but not always the absolute. I've refrigerated a number of desert species before
anyone gave me instructions and everything turned out ok. Citheronia splendens, Eupackardia calleta, various Automeris, including randa,
and there are also mountain species that do get actual cold weather.
My guess about your cocoons nearing a birthday is that they haven't properly diapaused and don't know what the time is.

[vabrou]

Having reared leps for over a half century, I have reared local sphingidae and saturnidae from numerous countries. Sometimes it is best to keep cocoons outside year round in sheltered areas. I have found this method eliminates a lot of rearing problems. And newly hatched moths in large screened cages promotes rapid mating due to the natural air flow environment. Here is an outdoor 4' x4' x 4' cage I used to rear leps for many decades, everything from atlas moths and smaller.