OH..and also......Someone from this forum asked me a couple of years ago to send them some Pawpaw seed when I got some fruit. I have 3 trees in the yard, and they are all about 5-6 feet tall now.Have had blooms on one already. So, I may get fruit soon. I had saved the person's addy on my old computer, and I don't have it anymore. Anyone recall that or know who wanted fresh Pawpaw seeds?

Sounds promising. Most cats start c the new growth and eat the older leaves as they grow. Try a "midnight raid" to see what is eating your Pawpaws. You just may be pleasantly surprised. The cats are pretty unmistakable.

I sure hope they're zebra swallowtails! I've only raised them once, and they were terrific hiders!

I usually find a type of inch worm that I think is the larva of tulip tree beauty moths. I also find these same inch worms on sassafras - my tulip trees are too tall to know if there are any on them.

Sherry

My tulip tree that I just ordered this Spring was dead:( I was really hoping for Eastern Tiger cats...
Oh well, I still have Swamp Milkweed, and the adults love that as a nectar source. I've had some beauties visit in past Summers.

You mean, it came to you dead? I'd ask for my money back, if that's the case!

Sherry

I did get a full refund, but I still don't have a Tulip Poplar. Oh well, there's always next year...

The cats supposedly hang out around the base of the tree. You might try looking for them with a blacklight flashlight. I'm buying one of those flashlights for Mothapalooza. Makes many bugs glow in the dark for easy spotting. Wish I could recommend one but I've been on my own trying to figure out what I'm buying.

Pawpaw sphinx is another cat that eats it. I found another cat species on mine maybe 4 years ago but can no longer remember what it was.

KC

Here is a link that might be useful: Pawpaw sphinx

Thanks KC. So, if they are there, then a person would be able to see them at the base of the tree during the day? Don't mean to sound stupid, but I am really confused by this. Unless they crawl completely away from the tree, how would they not be visible during the day? Thanks.~~Angie

Angie,

I wish I could answer your question using my personal experience but I cannot. It is just what I've read many times. I'm guessing they are hiding somewhere down there since being visible during the day would be a bad idea. I'm hoping my blacklight sheds some light on the subject.

KC

Finding Zebra caterpillars is really difficult once they are past their first instar. In the wild, I have only been able to find first instars and eggs. I look for very small holes, usually close to the tip of the leaf. In the butterfly house, we only have one tree. So, if we have an adult laying eggs, she ends up putting quite a few on the tree. Then I have better luck finding adults. Even then, they play "now you see me, now you don't". The irony is that when you see them, they are not moving. I don't think I have ever seen one hoofing it up a leaf. Yet, I can turn around and they are gone.

Paw paws are subject to munching by quite a few things. When I visited a paw paw grower I remarked on the zebra munching on his plants. He told me it was slugs. Sure enough, my paw paws have lots of good sized holes and I suspect the same thing.

The best thing to do is wait till the zebras are in flight. When you see them around, start checking your trees daily. Look under the leaves towards the tip. They are another species that likes newer leaves.

Good luck! They are a lot of fun to raise. If you find some, post again. They have some special needs as caterpillars.

Elisabeth

Thanks Elisabeth. I suspected that they would have special rearing needs. I read somewhere that the females lay their eggs on the newest terminal leaves, and I have been focusing on checking those out. Isn't it amazing how the little cats can hide in plain sight? There is definitely something that is munching on my Pawpaws, but it seems to be on the older leaves. The younger are left untouched. Oddly though, I have never found anything on any of the trees. :o)

Angie;
You are so right! It is weird to see the leaves munched on but nothing on them. Maybe because slugs are more active in the cool night? You wouldn't think a slug would climb a tree. Hmmm...I think we need some sort of night vision camera to monitor our trees. Imagine what we would see!

E

Elizabeth,

You said that ZST cats have "special needs". I have about 10 cats that I am raising. Could you please post these needs? Thanks.

Robert

Just curious, how are you raising them now?

It has been a while since I have raised them but here goes. Most caterpillars do fine in screened in cages. The type many use here. I find that zebras do not. For whatever reason they die. I am not sure if it is a humidity issue or what. I have found that raising an individual cat in a Tupperware container is the best way to go. So, I take a sandwich size, place a napkin in it, one caterpillar, and a leaf. This helps in a couple ways. Like we have said, these guys are good at hiding. They are the Cheshire cat of caterpillars. So, having one per container is good. They have been reported to be cannibalistic, so good on that account too.

It is important to give these guys lots of fresh food. They need to grow as quickly as possible. They are susceptible to a lot of diseases. So, other caterpillars, you can forget to feed them for day (not that I recommend this) and get away with it. Keeping the container clean is important too. Hence the napkin. I change that out at the same time. The enclosed container, with the napkin, with the leaf seems to provided the right humidity. However, if you leave the same napkin in there, it will get too wet and that leads to problems. The only exception to this is when they are small, 1st instar. If the leaves are small they don't provide enough humidity and I add a small drop of water. I can then change out the napkins when they get dirty. Once the caterpillars are bigger they need to be changed everyday. The caterpillars will pupate on the lids and I just remove the chrysalis and hang it elsewhere.

Hope that helps. I know a few others have raised them and can add.

Elisabeth

Thanks bunches Elisabeth! I copied, pasted, and saved your rearing advice. I have a question which is probably a stupid one. I have never raised cats in sealed tupperware containers. Do they not require any air circulating through the container? I was searching for Zebra cats just yesterday. No finds yet, but I am going to keep on looking.

When Elisabeth says "sealed," she means "sealed." Don't poke any holes in the lid. They get all the air they need when you open the container for cleaning/feeding. I tend to raise all my indoor 1st and 2nd instar cats this way these days. I'll have stacks of the cheap tupperware-like containers. I find the leaves stay fresher longer. I raised a bunch of BSTs from egg to chrysalis using these containers last year.

I've raised ZSTs following Elisabeth's instructions. I tried to get away with raising 2 in the same container but the ZSTs usually fixed that issue themselves. :(

Not a stupid question. Different people have different opinions on the "sealed" container. If you raise your caterpillar outside in 90 degree heat, then yes, it will need the air circulation. However, I don't raise mine outside. I don't have as much control over ants and other pests. I find it is easier to raise them inside. I also get to enjoy them more inside. There are lots of different ways to raise caterpillars and each has its advantages. Almost all "professional" facilities (think universities and commercial butterfly farms) raise their caterpillars in containers (from petri dishes to large storage containers), inside climate controlled rooms. This is to prevent predators, parasites, and disease. This is not to say some don't raise them outside, but the only time I have seen it is when they are raising hairstreaks that require ants for their lifecycle.

Anyway, I find small Tupperware to be the best. It is cheap, see through, and I don't worry that I will lose any. I also love deli and bakery containers. I get them free (well, with the price of a salad, etc.). If I have enough, I don't need to bleach them after use, I just toss them in the recycle container and use a new one. So, disease is not an issue.

They only other method I really like is using a sleeve on a tree. There are a lot of discussions on that method if you do a search of this board. However, even with that method, you run the risk of trapping a spider in with your caterpillars or having a bird figure out how to tear it apart (right KC?). I once did this method and didn't realize that I left a small opening where you tie the sleeve to the top part of the branch. Just big enough for one caterpillar at a time to go out, and out they did. What was funny was when I discovered it, I found a large jumping spider sitting just up the branch. It was is if was saying to itself "what a cool new automat!"

Feel free to keep asking questions. I still do and we all learn a lot.

Elisabeth

Ok thanks. I normally raise mine outside in the netted rearing tents. I have had really great success doing that, so I didn't try any other way. I brought the Spicebush cats inside so that I could watch them more closely. So, there are no issues when pupation time comes? They just pupate inside the slick plastic container? If I do get Zebras, I will definitely do it your way!!~~Angie