When I do sulphurs, I use a very big cutting with a long stem and a lot of water. (1- gallon fish tank is what I use.) I found that small cuttings dried out and dropped leaves too. The larger cutting seems to sustain itself -- at least a week. The way these cats behave -- it seems that they stake out a territory at the tip of on branch and stay there, hiding out when not eating, until ready to wander off to pupate --is hard to simulate indoors. I also found the eggs way too small to deal with. To do eggs, I'd find a branch with a lot of them on there and just clip it to the biggest size my container could handle, put it in water, and observe.

All kinds of things eat caterpillars. They are sort of the bunnies of the insect world. Spiders, stinkbugs, assassin bugs, wasps, birds, mice, ladybug and green lacewing larvae, and probably a whole host of other things we haven't observed yet. Yesterday, I watched a pipevine swallowtail caterpillar high tailing it down a vine. Following it was a jumping spider. I have never seen a caterpillar move so fast! The spider was safely and humanely removed to another area. Anyhow, many of us use floral picks to keep plant material fresh. You could try that. Each of us has our preferred method for raising caterpillars and there are a lot. It just takes time for you to find the method that works for you. Each year it may be different based on what you are raising, what plants you have to work with, what the weather is like, and how much time you have. Good luck, Elisabeth

Terrene; A. syriaca actually has less cardenolides than many other milkweeds (check out the link below). However, monarchs are able to concentrate cardenolides as long as they are present. The table in the link does not include A. curassavica, however, A. curassavica has a high level of cadenolides in comparison to A. syriaca. A. syriaca has way more latex sap than others. This actually poses a problem for first instar caterpillars as many are lost to the sap. Thanks Ericwi. I was just wondering because I haven't found anything yet. Yes, the mode of infection is typically vertical, through eating the spores. As I stated above, through eating the egg shell. The spores are then lysed through the alkaline environment of the caterpillars gut, where they then migrate through the gut wall to reproduce asexually. They then form spores after sexual reproduction,during the development of the pupa. -Elisabeth Here is a link that might be useful: concentration of cardenolides

This spring I had 2 variegated weigelas that died. Later, just as it was about to bloom (late May), I had a rose of sharon that died. A section at a time. Now in July another weigela, red one, is dying. A section at a time. All of these bushes had been here for more than 10 years. The weigela that is dying now bloomed profusely this spring. What is going on? All were in my back yard. None with any direct north wind. The 2 that died in early spring were right off the patio and the rose of sharon and other weigela are along the back fence some 20+ feet away. Makes no sense!!