Offspring from male
(Graellsia isabellae galiaegloria (m) x Actias sinensis (f))
x Actias sinensis female

by Dominique Ades.

Male back cross Actias sinensis female with male hybrid, courtesy of Dominique Ades.

Female back cross Actias sinensis female with male hybrid, courtesy of Dominique Ades.

Larval back cross Actias sinensis female with male hybrid, courtesy of Dominique Ades.

Pure Actias sinensis fifth instar, courtesy of Dominique Ades.

Dominique wrties,
Main results:
Natural pairing: female Actias sinensis pheromones do have an effect on F1 males!
These are at present (January 2006) the only two non-lethal morphs/phenotypes obtained in the applied rearing conditions and for them the following points have been observed:
- Probably six caterpillar instars (lack of observation from the mid-five one to the beginning of weaving),
- The standard forewings spread are 115mm for the male and 120mm for the female, much larger than those of parents,
- Male is probably fertile,
- Female sterility is proven,
- There is no winter pause neither for male nor for female,
- Almost exactly the same rearing duration (sterile female caterpillar doesn’t have to accumulate much energy!) and time pupating, then birth,
- Graellsia hybrid character is growing blurred, appearing mediated with sinensis. One can expect further backcrossing by the male way with at end, character stabilisation and possible recovery of female fertility! This last expectation will be possibly easier attained with (Graellsia x luna) backcrosses because of easier over-wintering recovery probabilities within luna hybrids.

Dominique ADES

Thanks to all members of the extended “Graellsia hybridation group” for their contributions in obtaining, co-producing and/or maintaining living stocks of interest.

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