Working in the Lab

Lab Work

There are many jobs during lab work.

First we check the caterpillars in by:
1) Identifying the
2) Identifying the host plant (the plant they eat)
3) Identifying the life stage
4) Giving the caterpillar a number
5) Entering all of the data of the of the caterpillar

6) Photographing the caterpillar

Next we make sure they have enough food and then hang the bag on the rearing rack.

Zoo is another job in which we clean out the bag the caterpillar is in. We also check to see if the life stage of the caterpillar has changed or if it had been parasitized (when wasps or flies lay eggs in the caterpillars and then emerge out of the caterpillar.)

Leaf measurement is a third job. We will measure the area of each type of host plant (10 measurements of each type of host plant).

Data base- The photographs are put into groups of caterpillars by number.

We will spend 1/2 the day doing lab work and the other half out in the field.



This is called a Limacodidae caterpillar.

Lab work at the bunkhouse.