Great silkworm alternative

[FraMa]

Hi! if you looking for a hardier caterpillar try Samia cynthia or Samia ricini. they are very similar to bombyx mori but significantly hardier and slightly faster growing. The set up is the same as for horn/silkworms. They are prickly but the spines are soft like the horn on hornworms. They eat a warity of host plants but i wuld only use those that are raised on artifical diets or safe plants as as with hornworms. They eat silkworm and hornworm chow. Like hornworms they take some color from there food. Adults dont eat but can fly.

 

[niels99]

Ill see where i can get em. Never heard of them before.

 

[NERVOUS]

Not sure where to get these from, but they certainly look like they would be 'interesting' to a Cham.

Samia cynthia

• NERVOUS
• May 7, 2016
• 5

@FraMa - It sounds like you have used these as feeders before. Care to share where we can some?

 

[Dave Bolamperti]

Not sure if you can get these in the US those are European

 

[FraMa]

Hi! I think you can get these in the US. You won't find them in a pet shop, you find them i specialist store for butterfly collectors. I got mine from
http://argiope.se/test/ and https://www.wwb.co.uk/ usually have them.
Her is Daniel Ambuehl playlist on rearing Samia ricini.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkbW4PmycslxRUYEiAWbQleetG-xRKNUz
I also added his playlist on silkworms for comparison.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkbW4PmycslwCTUQNwdU7LAExVkZKW7oJ

 

[cyberlocc]

Hi! I think you can get these in the US. You won't find them in a pet shop, you find them i specialist store for butterfly collectors. I got mine from
http://argiope.se/test/ and https://www.wwb.co.uk/ usually have them.
Her is Daniel Ambuehl playlist on rearing Samia ricini.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkbW4PmycslxRUYEiAWbQleetG-xRKNUz
I also added his playlist on silkworms for comparison.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkbW4PmycslwCTUQNwdU7LAExVkZKW7oJ

Those places are in the UK.

 

[Davecameos]

Hi! if you looking for a hardier caterpillar try Samia cynthia or Samia ricini. they are very similar to bombyx mori but significantly hardier and slightly faster growing. The set up is the same as for horn/silkworms. They are prickly but the spines are soft like the horn on hornworms. They eat a warity of host plants but i wuld only use those that are raised on artifical diets or safe plants as as with hornworms. They eat silkworm and hornworm chow. Like hornworms they take some color from there food. Adults dont eat but can fly.

Have you used them as feeders for chams when fed in mulberry?

 

[tjdeerslayer37]

My guy would love those, hes a sucker for anything "wormy"