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Third Instar #1 - 11 April 2015
#2 Just After Molting to Fourth Instar
| Photo Details - ŠNicky Davis Larva located by Todd L. Stout 4, April 2015, 6600 foot elevation, Bear Valley Jct, North side of Utah Highway 20, .1 mile West of U.S. Highway 89, Garfield County, Utah. 37°57' 56.44"N 112° 25' 1.17"W Third instar #1 11 April 2015 - Feeding on Penstemon eatonii Third Instar #1 11 April 2015 Fourth Instar #1 18 April 2015 - 14 mm long Fourth Instar #2 11 April 2015 - Minutes after molt to Fourth Instar - 14 mm long. #2 15 mm on 18 April 2015. Both these caterpillars died using Penstemon eatonii as host plant. Todd Stout reared some of these on Penstemon strictus then switched to Penstemon eatonii. He was able to get 4 males and 1 female through to adults. At Todd's suggestion, I tried to get the adults to mate by putting the males' antennae to the tip of the female's abdomen to transfer pheromones which has been reported as a strategy to get butterflies to mate in captivity. Despite doing this three times a day, the males and female showed no interest in each other. They were in a net cage with Penstemon eatonii for a few days, then with Penstemon strictus. Honey water was provided each morning and evening and a container with a sponge full of honey water in the container. Host Plants
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