Rearing

Manduca sexta

Rearing Manduca sexta 23

 Care and feeding
You’ll need
Obtaining eggs To raise Manduca sexta in your classroom, you will need the
and artificial diet following materials. Plans for constructing the larva and rearing
* To obtain a supply of boxes, and for preparing the diet are on the pages indicated.
Manduca sexta eggs and
artificial diet, contact ❒ larva box (see page 26)
Mary Hernandez at:
❒ rearing box (see page 28)
(520) 626-4373
(520) 621-1772 ❒ small plastic cups with ventilated lids
❒ supply of artificial diet* (see page 31)
Can I rear Manducas ❒ supply of Manduca sexta eggs*
on plants?
Yes, but raising
Manducas on plants has Directions
advantages and 1. In the larva box, place a thin wafer of artificial diet on top
disadvantages.
of the wire mesh platform and put the eggs on the paper
Benefits:
towel under it. Don’t put the eggs directly on the diet!
• You don’t need to supply
food or clean the cage. This encourages the growth of mold, which can kill the eggs.
Problems: When the eggs are ready to hatch, they are pale yellow in
• You need plenty of light color. They usually hatch within 2–3 days.
and warmth to support
plant growth.
2. After the eggs hatch, add more diet to the box. Make sure
• You’ll need plenty of to clean out the accumulated droppings and replace the
plant growth—a large diet daily.
larva can eat an entire
plant in one day! 3. You can raise the larvae in their original box for a few days,
If you rear your Manduca but soon the box may become overcrowded. This can lead
on plants, surround the to poor growth and even cannibalism! When the larvae are
plants with netting to about an inch long, move them into individual plastic cups
keep the larvae contained
when they start to with ventilated lids (i.e. with punched holes). You can also
wander. After wandering use multiple larva boxes, dividing the one-inch larvae into
begins, treat the larvae small groups in each.
the same as those
reared on artificial diet. 4. Change the diet, wipe excess moisture from the container,
and remove feces daily. Remember, mold and bacteria can
be fatal to the larvae.
5. Just prior to each larval molt, the larvae will stop eating
for a brief time. This is normal behavior, and does not
signify a health problem! After a few hours, the larvae will
shed and resume eating.
6. During the fall and spring, temperature shouldn’t be
a problem. If you’re comfortable, the larvae will be
comfortable. During cold weather, especially at night and

24 The Manduca Project

 on weekends, low temperatures can slow growth or even kill Manduca FAQs
the larvae. If temperature is a problem, you may need to Is it okay to release
provide an auxiliary heat source, such as a desk lamp. Manducas when I’m
done raising them?
7. Depending on the temperature, the larvae usually take
Yes - Manduca sexta is
about 2 weeks to develop to the wandering stage. The time native to the southwest.
it takes to reach this stage varies—these animals show Although they are a crop
the same variation that’s seen in nature. Some will develop pest, they do not
represent a serious
slowly, while others will complete their life cycle sooner. environmental concern.
8. You can recognize wanderers in several ways: Is my pupa is still alive?
• The dorsal heart becomes visible as a dark line along the If larvae pupate in the
back; fall, they may enter
diapause (a period of
• the insect stops eating and voids its gut contents; and dormancy during
• the insect begins to walk continuously, trampling its food adverse environmental
conditions) until the
and feces into mush. spring or summer.
9. Carefully wash and dry the wanderers, and place them in a Remember the pupa is
still alive. Do not allow it
dark place to pupate. Wrap each insect loosely in tissue or to dry out. It will squirm
paper towels, and place them in plastic cups in a cupboard if it is alive. Dead pupae
or closet. Don’t allow the developing pupae to sit out— are dry, hard, and very
dark.
they will dry out, and few will survive to adulthood.
Is it okay to handle
10. Nineteen to twenty days after wandering, place the pupae Manduca larvae?
in the cage with a tomato plant and a 14 hour light/10 Yes, most of the time.
hour dark lighting cycle. When larvae are molting,
it is better not to handle
11. After the moths emerge, they will mate and the females them. They are much
will lay eggs on the tomato plant leaves and sides of more fragile during this
the box (providing sugar-water for the moths will increase time. The same applies
to the larva when it is
egg production). Collect these eggs and start the entire becoming a pupa.
rearing process over again!

Host plants for Manduca Sexta

• Capsicum (Sweet and Chili Pepper)
• Cestrum (Ornamental Plants)
• Cymphomandra (Tomarillo)
• Datura (Jimson weed, loco weed)
• Lycium (Ornamental Plants used for Chinese Herbal Medicines)
• Lycopersicum (Tomato)
• Nicotiana (Tobacco)
• Petunia (Petunia)
• Physalis (Tomatillo & Ground Cherry)
• Solandra (Ornamental Vines)
• Solanum (Potato, Eggplant, Christmas Cherry, Nightshade)

Rearing Manduca sexta 25

 Building a larva box
You’ll need
To build a larva box, you will need the following materials and tools.
❒ a covered rectangular plastic storage box
❒ ½-inch or smaller wire mesh—equal to the length and
about twice the width of the box
❒ paper towels
❒ drill and ⁄-inch bit
❒ wire cutters

Directions
1. Use the drill to make
several small holes around
the upper edge of the
plastic box. These air holes
will provide oxygen to the growing
larvae and keep the humidity level in the
box from rising too high.
2. Cut the wire mesh so that it’s slightly shorter than the
length of the plastic box, and about 4 inches wider. Folding
lengthwise, bend these long ends into legs, each about 2
inches long. You should now have a table that fits inside the
plastic box.
3. Line the box with paper towels and place your eggs on
top of them. Next, place the table in the box so that the
eggs are under the table. Finally, set a cube (or cubes) of
artificial diet on the table for the soon-to-hatch larvae, and
put the cover on the box.
Manduca diet

wire mesh table Manduca eggs

26 The Manduca Project

Cleaning the larva box
Keeping the eggs separate from the diet helps keeps the eggs
from getting moldy, and makes cleanup easier. Larvae (of all ages)
cling to the food and table, while their droppings fall through the
mesh to the paper towels. To clean the box, simply lift out the
table and its passengers and remove the soiled paper towels.
Make sure to check for any larvae that may have fallen off of the
table before throwing the paper towels away. Finally, replace the
soiled paper towels with fresh ones.

Manduca larva box in use (keep lid on when unattended!)

Rearing Manduca sexta 27

 Building a rearing box
A rearing box is used to raise your Manducas from the pupal to
the adult stage, and laying eggs to begin the next generation
of Manducas. It provides food, shelter, and simulates natural day/
night lighting conditions.

You’ll need
❒ 18˝ x 18˝ x 24˝ cardboard box—a moving box is ideal
❒ plug-in 24 hour timer
❒ night light fixture with bulb
❒ 6-ft extension cord
❒ 25 watt round light bulb
❒ 18” plug/socket
❒ clear carton sealing tape
❒ strong thread or fishing line
❒ small plastic cup with lid
❒ 2 sheets clear overhead transparency film
❒ 12.5” x 20” sheet of black plastic (polyfilm)
❒ black enamel paint and small paint brushes
❒ sugar water (2 Tbs. sugar/cup of water)
❒ potted tomato plant or plant stalk in bottle of water
❒ optional—liner paper (e.g. paper towel, newspaper, etc.)
❒ box-cutter or sharp scissors
❒ hole punch
❒ pen or pencil for marking

Directions
1. Paint the night light bulb with a light coat of black enamel
paint. The amount of light that gets through the coating
should simulate dawn or dusk. Set the painted bulb aside
What is the dark to dry.
light bulb for?
The dark light simulates
2. Use carton sealing tape to close and reinforce the box.
the moon. Manducas
usually will not lay eggs
without moonlight!

28 The Manduca Project

3. Stand the box on the 18˝ x 18˝ end and
mark a door on one of the 18˝ x 24˝
sides. The door should be approximately
11˝ x 17˝. Cut three sides of the door
using the box-cutter or scissors. Leave
one side of the door uncut to serve as
the hinge!
4. Tape the two sheets of overhead film
together with as little overlap between
the sheets as possible. This will be the window.
5. Mark an outline for a window opening on one of the three
remaining walls of the box. Make the outline slightly
smaller than the plastic window! Completely cut out the
window opening.
6. Attach the window panel on the outside of the window
opening with tape. Make sure the panel is secure and there
are no holes for adult moths to escape!
7. Attach the black plastic across the top of the window with A note about
tape, leaving the other 3 sides untaped. This flap keeps the polarized plugs
room light out when the insects aren’t being observed, but If one prong of your light
can be lifted for viewing. fixture and/or timer is
8. Plug the timer into one of the outlets of the extension wider than the other, the
bulb may have to face
cord. Remove and discard the light shield in the opposite direction,
from the night light fixture, and screw as shown below. This
in the painted black bulb (it should be works, but it may be
dry by now). Plug the night light fixture more difficult to attach
the timer assembly to
into the other side of the extension cord the box. Make a shelf on
outlet. the side of the box using
9. The timer will be attached to the top of the leftover cardboard, and
attach the timer to the
rearing box with the black bulb extending inside the box shelf.
through a hole cut in the side, as shown. To cut the hole
for the bulb, set the timer assembly on top of
the box and mark the distance between
the top of the box and the tip of
the bulb. Cut a hole at this mark just
big enough to fit the black bulb
through, insert the bulb into the
box, and securely tape the timer to
the top of the box. Be careful not to
put tape over the working parts of the
timer!

Rearing Manduca sexta 29

 10. Plug the 18˝ plug/light socket into the 25 watt
light socket
timer outlet, then cut a hole just large
enough for the socket end of the plug/
light socket to fit through on top of the
box. Insert the socket end into the box
and working from the inside of the box,
screw in the 25 watt light bulb. Secure
the cord of the plug/light socket with
tape to the top of the box so that the
bulb is suspended near the ceiling.
11. Use a hole punch to put three or four holes in the plastic
cup lid. These will serve as openings for the adult moths
to sip through. Make three small holes around the rim of
the cup. Tie lengths of thread or fishing line through these
holes, then tie the free ends together into a hanging line so
that the cup can be suspended from the top of the rearing
box.
12. Cut a tiny hole in the top of the rearing box, feed the
hanging line through this hole from the inside of the box,
and secure it with tape. Add sugar water to this feeder
just before the adult moths emerge.
13. Optional: The emerging adult moths void the wastes
(meconium) that were accumulated during pupation.
Although these wastes do not smell, they are messy. You
may want to line your rearing box with liner paper to make
cleanup easier.
14. Set the timer for about 14 hours on (light) and 10 hours
off (darkness). Note: the black night light stays on all the
time, but the 25 watt bulb turns on and off. Plug in the
extension cord, add your plant, and you’re ready to go!

30 The Manduca Project

Preparing Manduca Diet
Why use artificial diet?
A major hurdle in biological research is raising the research What’s in the
organism. Many organisms are expensive to maintain in terms of artificial diet?
time and labor. Research insects such as the African migratory Students raising
locust, Colorado potato beetle, and aphids require living plants Manduca invariably ask,
for food. This requires considerable effort and space for both the “What’s in this diet?” To
help you answer this
insect and its host plant(s). question and to satisfy
your own curiosity, here’s
An advantage of using Manduca sexta is that you can feed it an a list of ingredients for
artificial diet made from easily available ingredients. This diet can the artificial diet.
be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to two Major Ingredients
weeks. To keep your larvae growing strong, give them fresh food • wheat germ
from your supply every day. • casien (milk protein)
• Wesson’s salt mix
• Vanderzant vitamin mix
You’ll need •
•
agar
water
❒ One-liter (or one quart) household blender. Minor Ingredients
❒ heavy-duty aluminum foil or a plastic container • ascorbic acid
❒ Measuring cup or 1 liter graduated cylinder • sorbic acid
• methylparaben
❒ Rubber spatula • vitamin A acetate
❒ Yardstick • formaldehyde
❒ Scissors • antibiotics

❒ Marker
❒ Paper towels
Obtaining a supply
❒ Microwave or hot plate to boil water of diet from The
Manduca Project
Provided by The Manduca Project To get a supply of
artificial diet for your
❒ 173 g artificial Manduca diet mix classroom, call Mary at
❒ 13 g agar (520) 626-4373 or
(520) 621-1772.

Rearing Manduca sexta 31

 Making a foil container
You can make your own container from aluminum foil or purchase a
similar sized container. To make your own container:

1. Cut a piece of heavy duty

aluminum foil 27 inches long
by 11 inches wide (or use two
layers of regular strength foil).

2. Fold the foil in half lengthwise,

to 13½ inches by 11 inches.

3. Measure three inches from

each side and mark as shown.

4. Fold the foil in along each line

as shown.

32 The Manduca Project

5. Fold the sides up to make a box.
Fold the corners diagonally to
form the “wings”, as shown.

6. Fold and tape the “wings” in

against the sides of the box.
You should now have a
container measuring 7.5
Inches long, 5 inches wide, and
3 inches high.

7. Bring 3 cups (710 ml) of water

to a full boil. Pour the boiling
water into the blender. Add the
13 grams of agar. Mix on low
speed until the agar is fully
mixed and dissolved. (This is
critical!)

8. Add the 173 grams of diet

mix. Blend on high until the
diet forms a smooth and
consistent mixture. Mix the
diet with the spatula a few
times to allow it to blend until
smooth.

9. Using the rubber spatula, scrape

the diet into the foil container
and smooth the top surface of
the diet. Cover with a paper
towel and allow it to cool at room
temperature. After the diet has
set, cover the container with foil
and keep it refrigerated.

Rearing Manduca sexta 33

 Male or female?
As larvae, it is extremely difficult to determine the sex of your
Manduca. During the pupal stage, when signs of the developing
Larvae and adults reproductive system are visible, it is much easier to tell males
Determining the sex of from females.
5th instar larvae is
possible, but extremely
difficult. In adult moths,
look at their antennae; How to tell
males have somewhat
broader antennae than 1. Take a pupa and look closely at the posterior underside—
do females. that’s the same side of the pupa as the developing horn or
proboscis, but at the opposite end.
2. Close to the tip of the abdomen you will see a distinct “slot”
Manduca Pupa - this is the anus.
area shown posterior 3. Now, look anterior to the anus, on segment 9:
enlarged (tail)
at left

Male
If you see two fairly
distinctive bumps on
segment 9, close to the
anus, you have a male.
Female
If segment 9 is smooth and
there is a narrow groove
visible on segment 8, you
have a female.

10 anus 10
9 9
8 genital 8
aperture
7 7

anterior
(head)

34 The Manduca Project