Special Offers
Pure Silk hanks These are English reeled 20/22 Denier raw silk hanks produced at the Lullingstone Silk Farm and Worldwide Butterflies.
These fine silk hanks were reeled on the same hand reeling machine, the only one in
The size and weight not standard but the illustration shows a hank picked at random. This is a unique product!
Special temporary promotion price.
NETTING Fine Black Nylon 5 metres 170cm wide
Was £18.95 (£3.79/m) SPECIAL SALE PRICE now £13.95 (£2.79/m)
Ideal for covering box tops, cages, netting replacement and making sleeves. This soft netting is ideal for making field nets.
This netting is durable, resists tearing and deterioration in UV light. It is fine enough to keep out minute flies and parasites.
NETTING Fine Black Nylon 10 metres 170cm wide
If you are thinking of making a netting structure, cage covering and replacement or making sleeves for rearing larvae, this is the ideal netting.
Soft and easy to use. Durable, resists tearing and deterioration in UV light. It is fine enough to keep out minute flies and parasites.
NETTING Fine Black Nylon 20 metres (2 x 10m) 170cm wide.
Was £53.90 (£1.90/m) SPECIAL SALE PRICE now £39.95
Ideal for large structures, flight areas etc.
Use for cage covering or making sleeves for rearing larvae.
This netting is durable, resists tearing and deterioration in UV light. It is fine enough to keep out minute flies and parasites.
Ordering in 20 metre lots brings the price down very low! A lot less than £1.90 per metre, 170cm wide. Probably an unbeatable price.
Marsh Fritillary Eurydryas aurinia
The butterflies fly from May into June. Eggs are laid in large clusters on the underside of Devil’s Bit Scabious.The larvae Feed on Honeysuckle (wild is best), Snowberry or the natural foodplant Devil’s Bit Scabious. The larvae live in a tightly formed web, growing only a little before they hibernate in autumn.
Marsh Fritillary Eurydryas aurinia
The butterflies fly from May into June. Eggs are laid in large clusters on the underside of Devil’s Bit Scabious.The larvae Feed on Honeysuckle (wild is best), Teasel Snowberry or the natural foodplant Devil’s Bit Scabious. The larvae live in a tightly formed web, growing only a little before they hibernate in autumn.
Clouded Yellow Butterfly Colias crocea
These pupae produce butterflies in a week or two at 18-20 degrees.
A great favourite with entomologists and extremely easy to rear on potted Clover. The larvae grow fast and will produce butterflies very quickly, particularly in warm conditions.
Marsh Fritillary Eurodryas aurinia
SPECIAL PRICE FOR 20 Larvae!
Larvae feed low amongst the leaves of Devil’s Bit Scabioius, but will also eat Honeysuckle. Honeysuckle starts leafing very early in the year, especially where sheltered in woodland. By February it is not diffficult to find enough foodplant to keep caterpillars well fed. In captivity the larvae are recorded as accepting Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata, Teasel Dipsacus and Snowberry Symphoricarpos.
Pre-hibernation larvae might be induced to develop and produce another generation with long day-length and sufficient warmth.
After waking in the spring the larvae grow fast, pupating in April and emerging as butterflies in May.
The Two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius Mediterranean coast
One of Europe's grandest butterflies - exotic and powerful in flight. The larvae are very easy to rear on its sole foodplant The Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo, which can be obtained from many plant nurseries.
In the wild, Autumn larvae develop slowly in the Mediterranean winter, and produce adults in spring. Don't keep them outside in the cold autumn and winter days. If you keep the larvae indoors in long day length and temperature of 20 deg+, some or all will grow well to pupation.
Black Hairstreak Strymonidia pruni
A GREAT REARITY - SELDOM OFFERED
The Black Hairstreak is one of Britain’s greatest rarities, occuring in very few localities, but doing well in them. Foodplant Blackthorn. We are pleased to be able to offer this very special species now as pupae.
Ermine Puss Moth Dicranura erminea
It is quite difficult to distinguish the moth and caterpillar from the British Puss Moth. Erminea does not occur in Britain, but is found across parts of Europe. The moth emerges later than the Puss Moth, usually in June/July. The egg is completely different, being larger, flatter and coloured bright orange, rather like a spangle leaf gall. The foodplants are Poplars, Willows and Sallows. A distinguishing feature of the larva is the white-edged saddle marking with a central “snowdrop”, not seen in the British Puss Moth. Seldom offered, give this species a try in the coming year.
Eri Silkmoth Philosamia cynthia ricini
Special Offer worth over £48 for special price whilst eggs are plentiful!
A very attractive form with dark banded moths. Very easy indeed to breed in captivity.
The larvae feed on Privet, and are very easy to rear in all seasons. Other evergreen foodplants accepted include Portuguese Laurel Prunus lusitanica, which they relish, Rhododendron, Laurel, and Golden-spotted Laurel Acuba.
Deciduous foodplants: Tree of Heaven Ailanthus is quite their favourite food. They also thrive on Willows, especially Osier Salix viminalis, Cherry, Laburnham, Lilac, Rose, Plum, Apple, Ash, Birch, Elder and doubtless many more.
The larvae are gregarious when young, yellow and black. Larger larvae are covered with white waxy powder. This subspecies is continuously brooded and can be kept going in all seasons. The cocoon is white and can be used to produce spun silk.