Actias dubernardi

Actias dubernardi(Actias dubernardi)

Phylum —arthropoda
Class —insecta
Order — lepidoptera
Family —saturniidae

Genus –actias

Appearance

The newborn caterpillar is black. Then it turns brown-red, orange, and finally green with white stripes. The caterpillar is covered with hairs.

The wingspan of these butterflies 20-1is 140 mm. The body is covered with hairs. Males have feathery antennae. Males are neon pink and yellow with long elegant tails, females are slightly fuller, with a pale white / greenish tinge and light pink tails.

Habitat

This butterfly can be found in parts of China.

Behavior

In nature, they give 2-3 generations per year.It prefers mountain forests at an altitude of 1000-3000 m above sea level.

Diet

The caterpillars feed on Pinus massoniana needles.

Reproduction

For their reproduction you need a terrarium with a size of 50 x 50 x 70 cm.The female lays up to 120 oval whitish-gray eggs measuring 1.5 x 1 mm on pine needles and twigs.The duration of incubation is 10-14 days. Incubation at a humidity of 70-90% and a temperature of 18-24°C.If the newborn caterpillars do not begin to feed, they should be placed for 1-2 days in a dark place. A pine branch should be placed in the container. Forage plants should be replaced every 3-4 days. The end of the branch should be wrapped with a damp kitchen towel, because small caterpillars can stick to the released resin. The caterpillars should be kept in closed plastic containers without ventilation for 6-8 pieces. When replacing the forage plant, the caterpillars must be moved along with the needles on which they sit. At the bottom of the container, you need to lay a wet paper towel, which needs to be replaced daily. Water should be sprayed only on this towel (not on the caterpillars and not on the forage plant!) The caterpillars are demanding to the humidity of the air — it should be about 70%. The keeper should maintain room temperature. High temperatures are harmful to the caterpillars. The caterpillars weave cocoons in the pine needles. The pupae are about 35 mm long, and the butterflies emerge from the cocoon after about four weeks, depending on temperature and humidity. The life cycle is 70-85 days. The butterfly's life span is 10-12 days.

In captivity

The mesh terrarium with a size of 50 × 50 × 70 mm is suitable for keeping butterflies. Room temperature is necessary. Butterflies (especially males) are very timid and when worried, they begin to beat against the net, breaking off their wings. Adult butterflies of this species do not feed and live off the stocks accumulated during the larval period.