CATERPILLAR CLASSROOM TECHNICAL MANUAL
TECHNICAL MANUAL
FOR REARING HELICOVERPA IN THE CLASSROOM
Please take the time to watch the Caterpillar Classroom Instructional Video that
walks you through each step involved in the rearing process.
Kit arrival:
• Make sure the kit is picked up as soon as it is delivered by post.
• Open the bucket upon arrival and ensure all components are present.
• Check the container with eggs/neonates and make sure there are no
escapees. If larvae have escaped during transit, it is advised to use the
remaining neonates inside the container, remove the kit components and
wash the bucket out.
Kit components:
• Your kit should contain:
o Container of eggs/neonates (these will be dyed green)
o Bag of larvae diet
o Rearing cups and lids (4 per student plus extras for the honey pots)
o Soft forceps
o Paintbrush
o Nappy liners
o Paper towel
o Zip lock bags
o Cotton dental roll
• You will need to provide:
o Thumb tack or needle to make holes in the cup lids
o Trays/egg cartons for storing larvae cups
o Stanley Knife and scissors for cutting the moth bucket lid
o Honey for the moth honey solution
o More paper towel if required
o Gloves if required
o More paintbrushes if required
If you are not using your kit straight away, store it away from direct sunlight and in
an area where the temperature is relatively stable. The diet should be stored in the
refrigerator until ready to use. Do not put eggs/neonates in the refrigerator as it
may cause the eggs and/or neonates to die.
Where possible begin transferring larvae onto diet as soon as possible after delivery
because they will start to eat one another as they get bigger.
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CATERPILLAR CLASSROOM TECHNICAL MANUAL
STEPS IN THE REARING PROCESS
STEP 1: REARING LARVAE
Cut diet into cubes
• Four cups per student have been provided in your kit (plus extras for the
honeypots).
• Cut the bag of diet open and chop the diet into cubes the size of dice. The
shape of the diet does not matter. Place 1 cube into each rearing cup.
Transfer neonates into rearing cups
• Open the egg/neonate container and use the paintbrush provided to gently
transfer a neonate into a cup. Do this by carefully picking up a neonate on
the tip of the paintbrush then place the larva onto the diet in the cup (careful
not to injure the larva). You may need more paintbrushes depending on the
number of students and the time you have.
• If you have a number of students transferring neonates at the same time, you
may want to shake some neonates onto several squares of paper towel so
everyone isn’t crowded around the one container.
• If desired, several neonates can be placed into each cup (they will most likely
eat each other and one survivor will remain).
• Be aware that the neonates can crawl out of the container very quickly so
close the lid between each transfer if necessary and only place a small
number on each square of paper towel.
• Once the neonates have been transferred onto the diet, place a lid on top.
• When all cups have at least one larva, puncture several holes in the lids of
the rearing pots using a thumbtack or needle. This ensures the larvae have
oxygen to breathe.
Store larvae
• Place cups with neonates in a tray or egg carton so they can easily be
moved around.
• Store the caterpillars away from direct sunlight in the classroom. Keep them
in a part of the classroom that has a relatively stable temperature throughout
the day and night (i.e. not in front of a heater or air conditioner).
• They should have enough diet in each cup to rear them through to pupae.
• They can be left in the classroom over the weekend without supervision.
• Monitor their growth as they progress through each larval instar.
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CATERPILLAR CLASSROOM TECHNICAL MANUAL
STEP 2: PUPATION
Around 20 days after hatching, the larvae will begin to pupate. The length of
pupation is determined by temperature and takes around 2 weeks in summer and
up to 6 weeks in spring and autumn.
Prepare moth bucket and transfer pupae
Once the majority of the larvae have turned into pupae, you can transfer the pupae
into the moth bucket by following these steps:
• Starting 1-2cm in from the lid edge, make a slit in your lid using a Stanley
knife and then use scissors to cut a circle in the lid of the bucket.
• Place the bucket on top of two paper towel squares and draw a circle
around the base of the bucket. Cut out the circle just inside the lines and
place the circles of paper towel in the bottom of the bucket.
• Use the featherlight forceps provided to carefully transfer all pupae into the
moth bucket. (NB: Pupae will often burrow into the diet and you may need to
scrape some diet away to reveal them).
• Discard any dead or deformed pupae. You will know if they are alive
because they will wiggle their tails when you pick them up by the head using
the forceps.
• Once you have transferred all the pupae, place a nappy liner over the bucket
opening and close the lid on top so the nappy liner is pulled tight.
STEP 3: MOTH EMERGENCE
• Monitor for moth emergence regularly and once moths have started to
emerge place a honey pot* inside the bucket for the moths to feed on.
• Helicoverpa moths live for around 10 days and can lay 1000 eggs in that
time.
*Making a honey solution for the honey pots:
• The honey solution is made up of 10% honey and 90% water (e.g. 4
teaspoons of honey in 200mL of warm water). Combine the honey and warm
water in a mixing jar and shake until the honey is completely dissolved.
• Secure the lid on top of a rearing cup and use a Stanley knife to cut two slits
in the shape of a cross in the cup lid.
• Push a cotton dental roll into the slit so it sits half way into the rearing pot
and halfway above the lid.
• Remove the lid from the cup and fill the cup ¾ with the honey solution.
Replace the lid. The dental roll should be immersed in the honey solution
and poking out the top of the lid. It acts like a wick for the honey solution.
• Check the honey pot each day and refill as needed.
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CATERPILLAR CLASSROOM TECHNICAL MANUAL
STEP 4: EGG COLLECTION
• Observe the nappy liner across the top of the moth bucket each day after
emergence and check for eggs (tiny white eggs as in picture below).
Once the moths start to lay eggs on the nappy liner, it is best to collect the eggs
each day so they don’t hatch in the bucket. To avoid moths escaping during the
egg collection process follow these steps:
• Remove the bucket lid and place a new nappy liner over the current nappy
liner.
• Gently sit the bucket lid on top of the nappy liners on the rim of the bucket.
• Hold the new nappy liner at one end and slowly pull the old nappy liner in the
opposite direction. Make sure the new nappy liner continues to cover the
bucket opening or your moths will fly out and escape.
• Fold the nappy liner with eggs on it and place it in the provided zip lock bag.
• Firmly secure the bucket lid down.
• Repeat the process each day until moths stop laying eggs.
• Several nappy liners can be kept in the same zip lock bag.
Once the moths cease laying eggs, they will die naturally over several days in the
bucket.
If you wish to repeat the lifecycle you can allow the eggs to hatch in the zip lock
bag. Wash and dry the rearing pots and lids provided in the kit. The larvae can be
raised on a range of food sources such as plants from the vegetable garden,
seedlings from the nursery or students may wish to bring in some plant material
from the crops/plants grown at home on the farm or in the garden. Use the
paintbrush to pick up neonates and transfer them onto the plant material in the
clean rearing cups. Place the lid on top and replenish the food source as required.
If you do not want to repeat the lifecycle you can place the moth bucket with the
moths and the zip lock bags with the eggs in it in a freezer overnight. You may wish
to examine the frozen specimens under a microscope. Discard the insects in the
general waste when you have finished.
If you have any further questions, please refer to our Facebook page, the FAQ tab or
submit an online query on the Caterpillar Classroom website. Your feedback is very
welcome.
Thank you for being a part of Caterpillar Classroom!
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