Time to start breeding
If the Profile of the peacock butterfly You are most convinced, and your choice therefore falls on this precious butterfly, you have to be patient until the right time. To of wintering eggs are laid first, then its caterpillars develop in May and June.
also read
- Peacock butterfly lifespan - that's how long it is granted to it
- Peacock butterfly - profile of a beautiful butterfly!
- The peacock butterfly has a large habitat
Where do the caterpillars get from?
The peacock butterfly has its own habitat also in our latitudes. While his lifespan From the age of two, depending on the weather, he will lay 50 to 200 greenish colored eggs once or twice a year. For this he chooses the undersides of the nettle leaves, which serve as food for the caterpillars.
The caterpillars are black with white spots, except on the head. They also have black thorns. With these features, they are easy to recognize. But collecting the caterpillars in the wild is tricky. The peacock peacock is currently not a protected species, but you have more security if you choose other sources of supply.
- buy from the butterfly breeder
- ask the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND)
Build a nest
- Obtain a transparent plastic or glass container with a volume of at least 1 liter. There will be enough space for three caterpillars.
- Line the container with a damp tissue or kitchen roll.
- Then add a few sprigs of nettles. They should stand with their stems in a water vessel, the opening of which is well sealed. This way the caterpillars do not fall into the water.
- Put the caterpillars inside the box.
- Cover the transparent vessel with a fine-meshed fabric that still lets air through.
Tips
A piece of an old curtain or a fine stump is ideal for covering the vessel.
Choose a suitable location
The breeding box can stand outside or in the house. On the balcony and in the garden, the spectacle is closer to nature. But a light window sill is also suitable. Just make sure that the container does not get direct sunlight. That would quickly lead to heating to over 50 ° C and let the caterpillars perish.
The caterpillars will eat hard and moult every 5-10 days. When fully grown, they are no longer hungry, they pupate on the vessel wall or on a piece of branch. Spray cocoons and pupae with water regularly to prevent dehydration. Wait patiently for the peacock butterfly to hatch on its own.
