Graellsia isabellae

Graellsia isabellae (Graellsia isabellae)

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

Genus – graellsia

Appearance

The newborn caterpillar is black with a yellow longitudinal stripe on the side. The younger caterpillar is grey. The older caterpillar is bright green with a dark brown stripe along the back and white and brown spots on the sides. The caterpillar is covered with sparse white hairs.

The wingspan of these butterflies is 60-100 mm. A pale green species similar in shape and size to the North American Actias luna, but differing in having the wing veins heavily outlined with reddish-brown scales and with yellow replacing the pale green on the hindwing tails and wing submarginal areas. The broad, outwardly curved tails are more than twice as long in males than in the females.

Habitat

Graellsia isabellae is native to Spain and France.

Behavior

This nocturnal species inhabits mature pine forests at altitudes of 500–1800m, particularly those subject to seasonal low-level cloud cover (i.e. fogs) when the moths are on the wing. Although tolerant of large variations in humidity and temperature, this species cannot tolerate extreme heat or prolonged drought. Both sexes become active at dusk, even at temperatures as low as 5 °C. Pairing rarely lasts longer than two hours.

This species prefers to rest near to the forest floor on the stems of saplings and on small branches which, particularly in the male, it 'clasps' with its wings. In this position it is remarkably well camouflaged.

Diet

The caterpillar primarily eats the needles of pine trees (genus Pinus). Adult butterflies of this species do not feed and live off the stocks accumulated during the larval stage.

Reproduction

For their reproduction you need a terrarium with a size of 50 x 50 x 70 cm. After copulation the female lays about 100 to 150 eggs on the favored food plant, pines. The duration of incubation is 10-15 days. Incubation takes place at a humidity of 60-70% 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. The caterpillars up to L3 should be kept in closed containers, the older ones - in mesh terrariums for  6-8 insects . A pine branch should be placed in the container. The end of the branch should be wrapped with a damp kitchen towel, because small caterpillars can stick to the released resin. Forage plants should be replaced every 3-4 days. While replacing the forage plant, the caterpillars must be moved along with the needles on which they sit. The caterpillars are demanding to the humidity of the air — it should not be high. The keeper should maintain room temperature. The caterpillar develops for 1-2 months. The caterpillars pupate in dry conifers, which should be put in a container with older caterpillars. The pupa is brown. The cocoons are golden brown. They should be placed in the cellar in a box with moss. Cocoons can withstand temperatures up to -10 – -20 ^oC. A few months after the cocoons are transferred to the heat, the butterflies begin to hatch. In captivity, the butterflies interbreed with species of the genus Actias.

In captivity

The mesh terrarium with a size of 50 × 50 × 70 mm is suitable for keeping butterflies. Room temperature is necessary.