Bug developments

[hazliya]

I don't think the smaller caterpillar is going to make it.

He's been very sluggish, not eating, and starting to turn pale. He can barely keep himself on the stalk now, and has been falling off regularly. He was the one who'd started to chrysalis, but he changed his mind again and went back to the plants. The other caterpillar, however, is doing wonderfully and hasn't stopped eating.

I don't understand it. There's plenty of food, they're nice and warm, and the cage is always clean.

Maybe all those efforts at forming a chrysalis wiped him out?

I don't know if I should step in and try to help him or let nature take its course and instead focus on taking care of the big guy.

What do you guys think?

-Haz

Comments

[lepcurious.livejournal.com]

Just let nature take its course and if the caterpillar dies then remove if from your container and find a nice garden spot for it.

Sadly, not all caterpillars ever make it. There are so many diseases, parasites, and predators... and then throw in the human factor of pesticides and toxins on plants.

The smaller one may indeed have some parasite or ailment.

Rearing caterpillars is hard work!

[hntrpyanfar.livejournal.com]

:(

I don't know how you'd help him. Just send him good wishes, I think, and maybe on his next go-round he won't be a caterpillar nebbish. (Really! You get SEX if you go through the chrysalis! ;)

I'd wonder if it was something in the cage if it were both caterpillars, but you seem to be doing okay with the one. I used to get caterpillar eggs in the mail on a food substrate (kinda like a petri dish with a screw-on lid). While we were guaranteed five caterpillar eggs, the two times I tried it I only got one caterpillar that survived chrysalis each.

*hugs*

[jalawingedone.livejournal.com]

I don't know if there would be anything you could do. Jarring him aorund too much might make him worse.