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!

Posted on October 18, 2017 02:21 PM by tonyrebelo