Rearing Butterflies and Moths at Home

REARING

BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS AT HOME

WRITTEN BY SANJAY SONDHI

ILLUSTRATED BY SUSHAMA DURVE

Title: Rearing Butterflies & Moths at Home

Author: Sanjay Sondhi

Illustrated by: Sushama Durve

Citation: Sondhi, S. & S. Durve, 2023. Rearing Butterflies and Moths at Home. Titli Trust (Dehradun). 32pp.

Published by: Titli Trust, Dehradun

ISBN: 978-81-954247-2-6

©Titli Trust, 2023

Supported by: Wipro Foundation & Wipro Earthian Program, Bengaluru

Designed & Printed by: Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun

Author’s note

I have always wanted to do an illustrated book on how to raise butterflies and moths in our homes, using examples of species found in India. The idea gained momentum, when, during COVID, I was stuck at home. I spent 3 months rearing butterflies and moths from my home garden, and completed more than 40 life cycles during this period! When I proposed the idea of a doing such a book to the Wipro Foundation, as part of the Wipro Earthian Program, they agreed at once to support the project.

The joy that I have got by rearing butterflies and moths, watching the amazing metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to pupa and then an adult, is unmatched. Rearing is also a great way to encourage youth to get involved and witness the wonders of nature at close quarters, sitting at home! Hence, this book is primarily targeted to be used by students and school teachers; though I am certain that anyone with an interest in nature, can use the book, too.

To illustrate the book, I looked no further than Sushama Durve, a Pune-based illustrator, whose illustrations are the highlight of this book, bringing to life my ideas wonderfully, with a great deal of accuracy and imagination. A big thanks to her for her incredible work.

I would also like to acknowledge that I consulted the Butterflies of India (https:// www.ifoundbutterflies.org) and the Moths of India (https://www.mothsofindia.org) websites for the illustrations. These websites are excellent resources for anyone interested in butterflies and moths. Thanks are due to many people who helped edit and provide feedback on the book as I went along; a big thanks to Anchal Sondhi, Mamta Govil, Rachit Singh, Yash Sondhi and Arjan Basu Roy for their support.

Finally, I would acknowledge the Wipro Foundation and the Wipro Earthian Program for their support, without which, this book would not have happened.

Sanjay Sondhi

About butterflies and moths

Butterflies and moths belong to the insect order, Lepidoptera, which literally means “scaled wings”.

There are approximately 1,400 species of butterflies known from India, belonging to six families.

There are more than 12,000 species of moths known from India, belonging to over a hundred families.

Butterfly families known from India

Hesperiidae (Skippers)

Small, fast-flying tailless butterflies.

Lycaenidae (Blues)

Small butterflies; many with tails. Males are generally blue on the upperside.

Nymphalidae (Brush-footed butterflies)

Medium to large, tailless butterflies. Front legs reduced and resemble “paint-brushes”.

Papilionidae (Swallowtails)

Large butterflies; many with tails.

Pieridae (Whites and Yellows)

Medium-sized tailless butterflies that are generally white or yellow.

Riodinidae (Metalmarks)

Small butterflies; generally, sit with their wings half-open.

Pea Blue Lampides boeticus

Common Mormon Papilio polytes

Common Leopard Phalantha phalantha

Double-banded Judy Abisara bifasciata

Lemon Emigrant Catopsilia pomona

Grass Demon Udaspes folus

Some common moth families and subfamilies

Saturniidae (Emperor or Silk Moths)

Large, nocturnal, non-feeding moths.

Atlas Moth Attacus atlas

Arctiinae (Tiger and Footman Moths)

Tiger moths are brightly coloured, and distasteful to predators. Mostly nocturnal.

Crotalaria Podborer Mangina argus

Lymantriinae (Tussock Moths)

Nocturnal moths; mostly non-feeding as adults. Their caterpillars have tufts like shaving brushes.

Rosy Gypsy Moth Lymantria mathura female

Sphingidae (Hawkmoths)

Large-bodied, mostly nocturnal moths. Powerful fliers.

Greater Yam Hawkmoth Theretra nessus

Uraniidae (Swallowtail Moths)

Mostly nocturnal moths; many with tails.

Bar Swallowtail Moth Orudiza protheclaria

Drepanidae (Hooktip Moths)

Many moths of this family have “hooked” wingtips.

Oreta sanguinea

Zygaenidae (Burnet Moths)

Colourful, day-flying moths, that are bittertasting to predators.

Drury’s Jewel Moth Cyclosia papilionaris male

Geometridae (Geometer Moths)

Large family of moths; mostly nocturnal. Caterpillars are called “loopers”.

Tea Looper Biston suppressaria

Erebinae (Owl, Owlet & Fruit-piercing Moths)

Large subfamily of mostly nocturnal moths; many with “eyes” on their wings.

Common Owl Moth Erebus macrops

Lasiocampidae (Lappet, Egar and Snout Moths)

Non-feeding as adults, nocturnal moths with a peculiar sitting posture.

Visnu Lappet Moth Trabala vishnou male

Limacodidae (Slug Moths)

Many of its caterpillars are slug-shaped. Green Coat Moth Parasa lepida

Crambidae (Grass Moths)

Small moths, whose caterpillars are stem borers.

Spotted Grass Moth Pygospila tyres

Differences between butterflies and moths

BUTTERFLIES

Largely fly during the day

MOTHS

Largely fly at night

Tawny Coster Acraea terpsicore life cycle

Larval Host Plant

Passion Flower

Passiflora species

Have clubbed antennae

Do not have clubbed antennae

Usually sit with wings open or folded over their abdomen

Usually sit with wings folded over their abdomen

Eggs on leaf

Caterpillars are usually not hairy

Many caterpillars are hairy

Caterpillar

Make a chrysalis

Make a pupa usually covered with silk

Pupa

Common butterflies, caterpillars and their larval host plants (LHP)

Red Pierrot Talicada nyseus

LHP: Patharchatta Kalanchoe species

Common Pierrot Castalius rosimon

LHP: Ber Ziziphus jujuba

Pea Blue Lampides boeticus

LHP: Pea Pisum sativum

Common Leopard Phalanta phalantha

LHP: Indian Willow Salix tetrasperma

Common Palmfly Elymnias hypermnestra

LHP: Palms Areca species

Common Castor Ariadne merione

LHP: Castor Oil Plant Ricinus communis

Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus

LHP: Giant Milkweed

Calotropis gigantea

Striped Tiger Danaus genutia

LHP: Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica

Common Crow Euploea core

LHP: Oleander Nerium oleander

Common Evening Brown Melanitis leda

LHP: Bamboo Bambusa species

Common Mormon Papilio polytes

LHP: Curry Leaf Plant Murraya koenigii

Common Map Cyrestis thyodamas

LHP: Rubber Ficus elastica

Lime Swallowtail Papilio demoleus

LHP: Lime (lemon) plant Citrus species

Common Redeye Matapa aria

LHP: Bamboo Bambusa species

Finding butterfly caterpillars in your home garden

Butterflies lay eggs on some specific plant families/plant species, which differ from species to species. These are called the butterflies’ larval host plants.

Look for caterpillars at their larval host plants during the day and at night; search for them using a torch. Search above and below the leaf for the caterpillar!

Common Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe

LHP: Sickle Senna Senna tora

Common Mime Papilio clytia

LHP: Cinnamon Cinnamomum tamala

On many occasions, the caterpillars roll themselves into a leaf or cover themselves with a leaf. Some caterpillars feed inside thick leaves or inside a fruit!

Lemon Emigrant Catopsilia pomona

LHP: Amaltas Cassia fistula

Indian Cabbage White Pieris canidia

LHP: Cauliflower Brassica species

Freshly eaten leaves on these plants and caterpillar droppings below are a sign that there are caterpillars to be found!

Can you see it eating the leaf?

Note the plant on which the caterpillar is found; you have just found the butterfly’s larval host plant.

How can I rear butterfly caterpillars in my home?

Get a large transparent glass or plastic jar. Add an inch of moist soil or tissue paper at the bottom of the jar. Put a small stick inside the jar.

Gently pluck the stem or leaf on which the caterpillar is feeding and put it in the jar.

Taking care of the butterfly caterpillar

Feed the caterpillar 2-5 leaves from the same plant species you saw it feed on, once a day.

Daily, clean the jar of the caterpillar droppings and dried leaves.

Cover

Typically, the caterpillar will take between 10 to 14 days to turn into a pupa. During this period, the caterpillar sheds its skin (called moulting), 4 to 5 times. The 4 to 5 stages of the caterpillar are called its instars. Often, it will eat its own skin, before feeding on its larval host plant leaves!

Observe and, if possible, photograph the caterpillar as it grows in size.

the jar with a mesh cloth and tie the cloth to the jar.

Pupation and emergence of the adult

After 10-14 days, the caterpillar will transform itself into a pupa (also called chrysalis).

Butterflies typically attach their pupa with silk to a twig or an appropriate perch.

Small Indian Tussore Silk Moth

Antheraea paphia life cycle

Now wait for 7-10 days for the butterfly to emerge from the pupa.

and identify the butterfly after it has emerged, but do not touch the butterfly with your hands.

Finally, let the butterfly fly away outside your home. Often, the butterfly will not emerge from the pupa, and will wait for better climatic conditions. This may be days, weeks or even months! Then, you will just have to be patient, and wait! Typically, this happens during the winter months, and is called over-wintering.

Photograph the pupa.

Eggs on Ber Ziziphus jujuba

Caterpillar

Pupa

Adult moth emerging from pupa

Photograph

Common moths, caterpillars and their larval host plants (LHP)

Saturniidae (Emperor and Silk Moths)

Indian Moon Moth Actias selene

LHP: Jarul Lagerstroemia indica

Sri Lankan Atlas Moth Attacus taprobanis

LHP: Camphor tree Cinnamomum camphora

Erebidae, Arctiinae (Tiger and Footman Moths)

Tropical Tiger Moth Asota caricae

LHP: Fig species Ficus hispida

Footman Moth Cyana coccinea

LHP: Sal Shorea robusta

Erebidae, Lymantriinae (Tussock Moths)

Banyan Tussock Moth Perina nuda

LHP: Banyan tree Ficus benghalensis

Sphingidae (Hawkmoths)

Greater Death’s Head Hawkmoth Acherontia lachesis

LHP: Teak Tectona grandis

Convolvulus Hawkmoth Agrius convolvuli

LHP: Water Spinach Ipomoea aquatica

Erebidae, Erebinae (Owl, Owlet & Fruit-piercing moths)

Yellow Underwing Thyas coronata

LHP: Rangoon Creeper Combretum indicum

Castor Semi-looper Achaea janata

LHP: Castor Oil Plant Ricinus communis

Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)

Lily Moth Polytela gloriosae

LHP: Lily Crinum asiaticum

Cotton Bollworm Helicoverpa armigera

LHP: Pea Pisum sativum

Erebidae, Calpinae (Fruit Piercing Moths)

Common Fruit Piercing Moth Eudocima phalonia

LHP: Indian Coral Tree Erythrina variegata

Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)

Lobster Moth Stauropus alternus

LHP: Rohini Mallotus philippinensis

Geometridae (Geometer Moths)

The Black Looper Hyposidra talaca

LHP: Khair Senegalia catechu (formerly Acacia catechu).

Moth larvae and pupa

Moth larvae or caterpillars can be found in many different locations. Some caterpillars are leaf rollers; others are stem or pod borers, living inside stems or seed pods. Still others, like ghost moth caterpillars, live under the soil.

Pod and fruit borers

The Cotton Bollworm or Tomato Fruit Borer Helicoverpa armigera

Grass moths and leaf folders

Many grass moth caterpillars are leaf folders

caterpillar bores into pea pods, tomato and numerous other fruit and vegetables

Zygaenidae (Burnet & Forester Moths)

Drury’s Jewel Moth Cyclosia papilionaris

LHP: Garjan Tree Dipterocarpus tuberculatus

Lasiocampidae (Lappet Moths)

Vishnu Lappet Moth Trabala vishnou

LHP: Guava Psidium guajava

Crambidae (Grass Moths)

Maruca Pod-borer Maruca vitrata

LHP: Cowpea Vigna species

Limacodidae (Slug Moths)

Green Coat Moth Parasa lepida

LHP: Mango Mangifera indica

Caterpillars of lichen moths (Cyana species)

pupate in an “igloo-like” structure constructed from the caterpillar’s hair.

Many moth caterpillars pupate under the soil, while others roll themselves up inside leaves and pupate.

Oraesia emarginata cocoon in soil

Many moths, such as tussock moths, cover their cocoons in caterpillar hair. Cocoa Tussock Moth Orgyia postica caterpillar and cocoon.

Finding moth caterpillars in your home garden

Finding moth caterpillars is no different from looking for butterfly caterpillars. Knowledge of the moth’s larval host plants is a big help to search for caterpillars.

Some caterpillars, such as the Paulownia bagworm Eumeta variegata, live in a “bag” made of Acacia thorns!

Freshly eaten leaves on these plants and caterpillar droppings below are a sign that there are caterpillars to be found! Can you see it eating the leaf? Note the plant on which the caterpillar is found; you have just found the moth’s larval host plant.

Look for caterpillars at their larval host plants during the day and at night, using a torch. Search above and below the leaf for the caterpillar! Remember, moths caterpillars can be leaf rollers, leaf folders or borers.

Parasites

Sometimes, the caterpillar or the pupa, of both butterflies and moths, may be parasitized by flies, wasps or even fungi.

Adult moth parastized by fungi

Tachinid fly laying eggs on a Dysphania moth caterpillar.

Often cocoons of wasps or flies completely devour or incapacitate the caterpillar or cocoon. In this case, instead of an adult butterfly or moth, flies or wasps may emerge from any of the life stages.

Don’t panic; parasitism often occurs in the natural world!

Common Onyx butterfly Horaga onyx caterpillar parasitized by cocoons of a wasp.

Tailed Jay Graphium agamemnon butterfly with Chalcid wasp emerging from the pupa.

How can I rear moths in my home? Taking care of the moth caterpillar

Gently pluck the stem or leaf on which the caterpillar is feeding and put it in the jar.

Daily, feed the caterpillar leaves from the same plant species you saw it feed on.

Get a large transparent glass or plastic jar. Add an inch of soil in it. Put a small stick inside the jar.

Typically, the caterpillar will take between 10 to 14 days to turn into a pupa. During this period, the caterpillar sheds its skin (called moulting), and its color and size changes.

Daily, clean the jar of the caterpillar droppings and dried leaves.

Observe and, if possible, photograph the caterpillar as it grows in size.

Cover the jar with a cloth and tie the cloth to the jar.

Pupation and emergence of the adult

After 7-10 days, the caterpillar will transform itself into a pupa, typically under the soil, inside leaves or on the side of the plastic jar.

If the pupa is under the soil or inside leaves, you can gently remove the soil or leaves and photograph the pupa. If it is on the side of the plastic jar, then it is easy to photograph it.

Recording butterfly and moth life cycles

Photograph the various stages of the life cycle: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult and also its larval host plant.

You could also record observations about the life cycle such as listed below:

Date of collection :

Place of collection : City/State

Habitat : Home garden/park/forest/any other

Stage of collection : Egg/Caterpillar/Pupa

Larval host plant name (if you cannot identify the plant, take photographs of the plant for identification at a later date)

:

Photograph and identify the moth. And then let the moth fly away outside your home.

Now wait for 7-10 days for the moth to emerge from the pupa. If the pupation happens during the winter months, the pupa may over-winter, and the adult moth will emerge only when the weather becomes warmer, and more suitable for the adult to fly.

Caterpillar : 1st instar/2nd instar/3rd instar/4th instar and dates

Date of pupation :

Date of emergence of adult :

Note: The butterfly and moth life cycles can be uploaded on the citizen science platforms Butterflies of India (https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org) and Moths of India (https://www.mothsofindia.org), respectively. Your life cycle documentation will help increase our knowledge of these dainty creatures!

Do’s and don’ts for rearing butterflies and moths in your home Do’s

Feed leaves to the caterpillar that are from its larval host plant.

Don’t feed the caterpillar leaves other than from its host plant.

Feed the caterpillar fresh leaves daily.

Clean the jar of the caterpillar droppings daily.

Don’t add too much water to the soil, otherwise the caterpillar may drown.

Ensure that the jar that you have kept the caterpillar is well ventilated; hence a cloth cover on the jar’s mouth is a good idea, rather than the jar’s cover.

Ensure a layer of moist soil at the bottom of the jar.

Keep a stick inside the jar to support pupation (needed for butterflies).

Ensure that the jar is large enough so that the adult butterfly or moth can dry it’s wings when it emerges.

Release the adult butterfly close to the area that you found the caterpillar.

Don’t keep the jar out in bright sunlight; the caterpillar or pupa may die if it is too hot.

Don’t release butterflies in areas different from their caterpillar location. For example, if you have brought a caterpillar home from a forest patch, release the butterfly near the forest patch and not near your home, where its larval host plant may not exist.

What can I do to help save butterflies and moths?

Make your home garden butterfly and moth friendly.

• Plant common larval host plants in your garden.

• Replace beautiful flowering plants or pretty grass lawns; let your garden grow wild! Most flowering plants, and even the grass in your lawn, are not native species, and hence not useful for butterflies and moths to lay eggs. This process of replacing exotic plants with native plants is called “rewilding”

• Stop the use of pesticides and herbicides in your home garden. They end up killing the caterpillars and adult butterflies and moths. Even if the plants in your home get eaten by caterpillars, so what? Let this be your contribution to helping “Mother nature”!

• Spread the message about “re-wilding” your home garden or your society to your neighbours and friends. Rewild your school, if you can, as part of a science project!

• Document butterfly and moth diversity in your home garden. Use the the citizen science platforms Butterflies of India (https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org) and Moths of India (https://www. mothsofindia.org) for identification of species. Upload your observations to these websites.

Glossary of some difficult words

exotic : originating from a foreign country

native : originating from indigenous location (in this case India)

metamorphosis : a marked developmental change from one life st age to another

larva : live immature form of an insect, such as a caterpillar larval host plant : plant species that the larva (or caterpillar) feeds on pupa : life form between larva and adult; chrysalis (butterfly) or cocoon (moth)

pupate : change in form of caterpillar to pupa

rewilding : restoring land to its natural, uncultivated state parasite : an organism (the parasite) that lives in or on an organism of another species (the host)

parasitize : to live on or in another species of a different type and feed on it

instars : stage of the caterpillar between various moults

moulting : shedding of skin to make way for new growth

chrysalis : butterfly pupa

cocoon : a silky case spun by moth larvae

nocturnal : active at night

Is it difficult to rear butterflies and moths at home?

No, it is not difficult to rear butterflies and moths at home. It is fun and fascinating to watch a caterpillar or pupa miraculously transform (a process called metamorphosis) into an adult butterfly or moth! All you need is to spend a few minutes every day and be patient for the 4-6 weeks it take for the adult to emerge.

How can I identify butterflies and moths?

Use the citizen science platforms Butterflies of India (https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org) and Moths of India (https://www.mothsofindia.org) to identify butterflies and moths.

What is the best season to look for caterpillars?

Butterflies and moths are cold blooded, so they are not active as adults during the cold months, namely the winter. The adults are active in the warm months of the year. The best times to search for caterpillars are spring and monsoon, but this is also dependent on where you live; in the hills or the plains.

What is the best time to look for caterpillars?

Some caterpillars are active at night; while others are active during the day. So anytime is a good time!

What is the best place to look for caterpillars?

Any place with greenery and native plants; your garden, your society, the nearby park or a forest.

What signs should I look for when searching for caterpillars?

Look for caterpillar droppings below the plant. Search for signs of freshly eaten leaves. These are two easy signs of caterpillars. Of course, the caterpillars are normally well hidden, to save themselves from being eaten by bird or lizard, so you will need to search carefully. Also remember, other insects, like beetles, are also leaf eaters!

How long does the entire life cycle take from egg to caterpillar to pupa and then to an adult?

Egg to caterpillar: one week. Caterpillar to pupa: one week to ten days. Pupa to adult: one week to ten days. But these are only general guidelines and the time period may vary with seasons and species.

Can I feed the caterpillar leaves from a different plant than where I found it?

If you are certain it is the same plant species, then you can do so.

The caterpillar is not eating leaves. What should I do?

Caterpillars often stop eating prior to moulting (shedding their skin) and prior to pupation. So wait for a day or two, to check if moulting or pupation is underway. Sometimes, the caterpillar will stop eating as it is parasitized. Very rarely, the caterpillar will not like its new home (your jar), and stop eating and then, you can only mourn its passing away.

Frequently asked questions about rearing

REARING BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS AT HOME

Rearing butterflies and moths at home, is an illustrated guide book for children and adults, alike, who would like to explore the intriguing early stages of these winged fairies in their homes.

ISBN 13: 978-81-954247-2-6