Subject: Cecropia caterpillar alternate foods?

From: [email-masked] (John 22348)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 08:08:22 -0400

Does anyone know of any fruits, vegetables, etc. Cecropia caterpillars
will accept when their preferred food sources are not available?

---

From: [email-masked] (Richard Hill)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 15:36:35 GMT

Early last month there were several articles posted regarding the 
beginings of a mass migration of Painted Ladies (Nymphalidae:Vanessa 
cardui) from Southern California.  Then the rains washed California into 
the sea.  What happened to the painted ladies?  I have not seen them in 
Sacramento or points north.  Did the rains wash them out, have I just 
missed them?  We have had about a week of blue sky and warm 
temperatures, was the migration stalled?  Is it building again?

Just interested.
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Samuel Sun)
Date: 6 Apr 1995 05:34:05 GMT

> Richard Hill <[email-masked]> wrote:

The numbers seem to have dropped a bit, but I still see plenty of them here
in Claremont.  This past Sunday (April 2) I saw quite a few flying west on
Table Mountain (7500' elev).  Also, the Clouded Sulfur (Phoebis sennae)
seems to be back again.  I saw two within a half hour Monday.

Sam Sun

---

From: [email-masked] (Brian Korbelik)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 19:47:52 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>temperatures, was the migration stalled?  Is it building again?

The migration of Painted Ladies passed through Pasadena in Southern
California for the most part about a week or so ago. There are still
a few to be seen but the vast majority have continuted on.
On Sunday March 26th I counted 314 Painted Ladies flying over
my house in a half hour period from 3:12 to 3:42 pm. They were
headed in a N/NW direction. The weather was sunny and the air
temprature was in the low to mid 70's F. The wind was from the south
at about 8-10 mph. 

The next day monday, I observed 81 Painted Ladies flying in
a 15 minute period from 12:30 to 12:45 pm. The weather was the
same as the day before except for a few degrees warmer.

By the end of the week it seemed that most of the migration has
passed on. 

Brian Korbelik

---

From: [email-masked] (Greg A Breed)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 19:44:35 -0500

>will accept when their preferred food sources are not available?

John, I don't know where you are but it must be somewhere far away.  
Cercropias will eat just about any type of tree or shrub.  The field 
guide probably lists out what it calls "preferred food" but then attaches 
the disclaimer "and any other trees and shrubs."  Fact is, it will eat 
any tree or shrub except honey sucles or citrus.  There are a few others 
of course but not very many.  I have never been any where (except the 
desert) where there wasn't something a cercropia would eat.  Anything 
deciduos will do.  Any temperate climate fruits will due.  I doubt any 
vegtables wil due, so if you plan to grow your food quickly your out of 
luck.  I would bet ten bucks you have some food plant in your back yard 
though.  Here's a small sample: maples, ashes, alders, birches, willows, 
poplars (cotton wood), dogwoods, buckthorns, cherries, plums, pears, 
apples, hawthorns, hicorys, probably oaks and a load of others.  By the 
way, willow is very easily found anywhere in the US and is one of the 
best food plant for raising any Saturnids on.

If you have any other questions about Saturnidae or any other mothes or 
butterflies just drop by my e-mail.  ([email-masked])

Greg Breed
Minneapolis, MN.

---

From: "David B. Richman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 08:20:30 -0600

Here, for what they are worth, are my sightings so far this year.
Elevation 3900', Dona Ana Co., New Mexico. (About 45 mi. N. of El Paso,
Texas) after one of the mildest winters on record.  December was the
warmest on record (kept since the late 1800s).

Feb. 17, 1995.  Nymphalis antiopa.  Mesilla Park.  Temp. ca. 60 F.
Flying in back yard.
Mar. 12, 1995. Vanessa atalanta.  Mesilla Park.  Temp. mid-upper 60s F.
Defending territory on canal bank.
Mar. 21, 1995.  Basilarchia arthemis.  New Mexico State University
Campus, Las Cruces.  Nearly 80 F!
Mar. 24, 1995.  Chlosyne lacinia.  Mesilla Park. 70s (noon), garden.
Also freshly killed Vanessa cardui on car windshield in
Mesilla park.
Mar. 29, 1995. Vanessa cardui.  New Mexico State University, Las Cruces.
Windy.  60 f.  (one also probably seen the day before, but not identified)
Apr. 3, 1995. Nathalis iole (at least three). New Mexico State
University, Las Cruces.  High 50s F. On grass near pasture.
Apr. 3-4, 1995.  Phoebis sennae.  First seen at NMSU, Las Cruces at same
time as Nathalis iole, but not confirmed until next day when one was seen
in Mesilla Park at noon (60 F).

In addition, Artogeia rapae and Pontia protodice have been seen off and
on all winter and at least one Colias has appeared now and then.  I have
not been able to identify the last for sure, as we have two species.  A
skipper was also seen on the same day as Vanessa atalanta, but could not
be identified.  It was one of the"orange" small skippers.

David B. Richman
The Arthropod Museum
Dept. of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM  88003

---

From: [email-masked] (Neil Jones)
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 18:07:13 +0000

> will accept when their preferred food sources are not available?

This species is not native over here but I had a go at breeding it some years
ago. I reared it on a willow (Salix atrocinerea) but the books list a wide
list of foodplants including Prunus and Malus and I believe there has
been an attempt at some kind of mass rearing over here on Hawthorn (Crataegus
monogyna). It will also take Privet and Lilac only one book I have consulted
says that it does not do well on these.
At a guess it may quite polyphytophagous so it is worth trying a range of
shrubs.

-- 
Neil Jones
[email-masked]

---

From: Ms Fortune <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 14:28:57 -0700

Thanks for responding...

Again, this is on  Sat., April 15th;
I  should let you know, however, "no nets" - State Park (no collecting)
 rule; but  Rich has his (net)  for 'catch and release 'interpretive
purposes for the day by special permission from the Park -

Anyway I assume you're coming from "over the hill"; I'd be glad to
caravan from Walnut Creek Bart, if you're not familiar with the
territory out by Clayton; or

you can call Rich; his home phone (no email) is: (510) 672-0674;
- mine is (510) 687-2548;

The walk starts at 10:00 am - I guess that's a meeting time at the Clayton
Saddlery; the walk site is only another few miles from there;
should be nice if it doesn't rain. Want me to tell him anything for you?
I'll try to keep in contact if anything changes (like the weather).

Sharyn Fernandez <[email-masked]>
Contra Costa County IS
Mount Diablo...
MDIA/VIPP member, Mt. Diablo State Park

On Thu, 6 Apr 1995, Daniel Oppenheimer wrote:

> Sharyn-
> I'm interested in the hike with the marine world entomologist on April
> 15.  I'm a graduate student in entomology at UC berkeley.  Can you
> e-mail me more info?
>
> Dan Oppenheimer
> [email-masked]
>

---

From: Ms Fortune <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 21:30:48 -0700

Yes,  I've seen quite a few coming through here on the warmer days
earlier this week (this location is 30 miles east of San Francisco);
as I recall from the year before last, it was "Easter" when they were at
max here (albeit "Easter" changes around,), if the weather stays above 70
and fairly clear, I'm hoping they're still going to be increasing by
Easter this year; that's my hypothesis (hope?), anyway...
actually, for any of you folk in the general vincinity, there will be a
"Veined White Flight" interpretive walk in the Perkins Gulch area of Mt.
Diablo State Park on April 15th; leader: Rich Kelson (Butterfly
World/MarineWorld entomologist); if you'd like more info, please let me
know; probably only a 2 to 3 hour hike, if the weather's good, and he's
carpooling from the Clayton Saddlery (Clayton is on the Northside of Mt.
Diablo, which is off Hwy 680 in Contra Costa Co.) to the site off Morgan
Territory Road - should see a few _Vanessa cardui_, as well as about 12 or
13 other species (including Hesperidae).

Sharyn Fernandez
Contra Costa County IS
Mount Diablo

---

From: Daniel Oppenheimer <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 09:45:53 -0700

Sharyn-

Dan Oppenheimer

---

From: [email-masked] (Carol Witham)
Date: 6 Apr 1995 22:10:22 GMT

>temperatures, was the migration stalled?  Is it building again?

On April 3rd (Monday), I observed ~120 Vanessa cardui flying NNW while 
driving between Dixon and Rio Vista, Solano Co.  On that same day, 
Greg Kareofelas observed 10+ (in an hour) flying N in Knights Landing,
Yolo Co.  On April 4th, we observed several very tattered migrating
ladies near Lodoga, Colusa Co.  They appear to be migrating through the
valley, but the numbers are low.  

[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Pierre A Plauzoles)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 02:13:17 GMT

>will accept when their preferred food sources are not available?

You mention "fruits".  I take it for granted that you do mean the foliage 
of the trees concerned.  Even then, I can think of none.  The larvae 
of moths in this group are fairly selective.  Some are difficult to 
raise, and some are prone to disease (not transmittable to humans) and 
all require close monitoring of their food foliage for freshness.

However, I think that Art Papayanopulos ([email-masked] or 
[email-masked]) might have some ideas.  He knows the giant silkmoths 
well and has had eperience with several.

Good luck.

-- 
Pierre Plauzoles   [email-masked]
Canoga Park, California

---

From: Ms Fortune <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 13:45:47 -0700

Hi -
looks like rain; however, Rich Kelson said he'd show up, if only to
cancel the walk (Meeting place: Clayton Saddlery, 6200 Center St.,
downtown Clayton! - 10 AM ; take Ygancio Valley Rd. exit in Walnut Creek
off 680, follow up to Clayton Blvd., turn right, look for signs to Clayton)
(do you know Dr. Powell(?)- there at UCB ("NATURE"), he knows where this
is; in fact, have you done the (his) Mt. Diablo Xerces (now NABA) Count?
it's the same location...(pls. tell him I said I again!)
-I won't have access to the 'net' till after April 21st- please call me
if I can be of further assistance; hope to see you some time!
Sharyn
Fernandez ([email-masked])
 Contra Costa County IS Mount Diablo... MDIA/VIPP member, Mt. Diablo State Park