Waxworms have been incubating at two different temperatures for 11 days. Some of the waxworms that have been incubating at 35C have emerged as waxmoths. None of the waxworms that had been incubated at 30C has emerged as waxmoths. In fact, several of the waxworms that had been incubated at 30C have turned black and died. Most of the waxworms incubated at 35C are pupating (look burnt brown indicating a cocoon).
Three waxmoths were seen in the container of waxworms incubated at 35C. Picture seen below.
Additionally, a single waxmoth was retrieved from the USDA on one of their honey comb frames (from Anna B's experiment, termed the "old" wax). This waxmoth was transferred from the USDA building to NDSU in a 50 mL conical tube and transferred to a 500 mL container like the one above.
Dixie brand Kabnet Wax paper (Link) was cut into long thing strips and folded up accordion style and placed inside the 500 mL container that housed the waxmoth. Three waxmoths from our own colony that had recently emerged were also transferred to this container. The waxmoths were transferred using a long forceps with wax paper taped onto it (pictures below).
The hopes of combining the wild type waxmoth from the USDA hives and our own colony waxmoths is that they will breed and increase genetic diversity in our own colony.
Two folded strips of waxpaper were hung from the cap of the 500 mL container housing the waxmoths (pictures below). The hope is that the waxmoths will lay eggs in the folds of the waxpaper and I can easily retrieved them each day. I will monitor how well this process works after 24 hours of incubation at 35C.
//EWW
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