Hi KC;
My internet is back up! Happy day!

I have never seen anything but tigers lay on our tulip tree in the house. The moths always prefer the sweetgum, maple, and or buckthorn (the fernleaf ornamental, not the invasive one. But who knows? That would be interesting if they ate glossy buckthorn.)Even though the sweetgum and tulip tree were right next to each other and we had tons of moths laying. I never saw one on the tulip tree.
-Elisabeth

When you have a captive audience like that and the moths are ignoring the tulip tree, and then you add in my experience, I'm thinking I am growing a big tree just so I can raise a few tulip tree moths. Not a good use of my space.

I'll probably run some experiments in May and June to see whether younger leaves make a difference.

I have a Tulip Tree that I planted and is now about 5' tall. I also have a Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) in a pot that is just as large.

The Tigers here have only used the cherry tree, and I am not within the range of the Callosamia angulifera.

I am seriously debating removal of the tree before it gets any larger.

Susan

According to the HOSTS database, other lepidoptera to try include luna, promethea, sweetbay silk moth, and spicebush swallowtail. That said, I know Elisabeth's butterfly house has raised lunas and spicebush. Don't know about promethea. I'll probably give lunas a try next year if I'm still in the luna business (I had 3 more 2nd brood males eclose yesterday).

We have lots of promethea. Again they mostly use the sweetgum. This is actually the first year they used the spicebush since I have been volunteering there. I got a picture of a spicebush swallowtail using the promethea's curled leaf cocoon as a hiding place. I thought that was pretty amazing. We were wondering if they maybe co-evolved that way.
-Elisabeth

I have since put many lunas and prometheas on my tulip tree. All quickly died. I read about others raising both species on tulip tree so I'm left to wonder whether the problem is my tulip tree or the cats in my area don't like it. The tulip poplar weevils sure liked it this year. :(

I did learn that gypsy moth cats don't like tulip trees when there was a local outbreak and the only trees left with leaves were the tulip trees.

Hmmm....it's all interesting, KC to know what tree leaves moth cats like and don't like. I can't speak for tulip trees, though, because I've only raised/found tiger swallowtails on it.

Sherry