We came from here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1205139/
Should you have missed the beginning of this thread please feel free to visit our last thread where it all started. I'm writing this to help newbies whose interests may involve raising these beautiful butterflies and release them back to the wild.
Okay, from the previous thread, Amanda has asked, what is likely to happen to these pupae at this late in the season. Will they 1) 'wintering' over naturally or... I then asked 2) if we should store the chrysalides in the fridge to keep them 'as is' until spring then we can bring them back out to resume their transformation? Please join in and help us out.
Here is another set-up which houses 3 other 5th instars BSTs that're about to pupate into their cocoons. At present they're happily munching on the parsley within the cage in a semi-shade area outdoor.
Thus far, I was able to keep the bigger predators such as large spiders and wasps out. Birds and Lizards, and not to mention those Praying Mantis out....and the cats. appear to be quite happy the last 3 days.
Lily......I would leave them out in the elements for now since you are in the south. More than likely those will pupate and emerge in a couple weeks since we are having pretty warm days still. That said....if it should turn off really cold before they form, they may hibernate for the winter and emerge in the spring. I personally haven't brought any in and refrigerated them. However, if the weather is definately too cold for them I don't think they will form and the fridge would be just as good as the outside. I don't know if a wet sponge would be necessary for humidity or not. I think Bruce did that with some.
I also think that you are far enough south that yours would fare just fine at this point in the season. I have brought mine indoors because I am having trouble with critters outside where I have kept my cats in the past. I'm thinking (?!) that the cooler constant temp (?) 73-77 deg. may or may not have an impact on whether they stay or go. I do have them at a window where they receive afternoon/setting sun so that at least they have natural lighting. i don't know if it's a daylight thing or temperature thing that impacts whether they eclose now or later.
I think there's only 1 way for me to find out! Once they are all closed into their cocoons I will try to get them out into safe space outdoors. I will wait and see then - once the time for them to come out passes, I will keep them overwinter inside a storage closet on my backporch which has airvents on the door. I've only done this once, and I think I mentioned how shocked I was in April last to find a perfect BST on the floor in that closet during spring cleaning.
Still no sight of monarch cats in my yard, but helping a friend with hers.
A.
I am having the same delimna Lily one just formed a chrysalis, and I am debating whether to overwinter it, or let it eclose. I am leaning towards putting it in the fridge because our weather is already turning colder, and by the time they eclosed, and started the next generation it would probably be too late. Any ideas on this anyone?
Last winter I over wintered three, and only one eclosed. I don't know why, so I am planning to do more research--like Sheila says it might be as simple as adding some moisture. maybe something like a cigar humidor would do the trick.
Or--it could have been a parasite last year because I found all three on one plant and they formed their chrysallises w/in a few days of bringing them in.
Now, this little guy pictured will definitely overwinter!
Awww, cute little instar. I'm standing by to watch other's comment on this process. Thanks Bruce for sharing your experience. Oh I'm going to a butterflies festival locally today. Hopefully there will be lots of interesting butterflies pics. to share on our daily thread this weekend.
have fun Lily!
Good news! I have (I think) sleepy orange sulfur larvae eating my Cassia alata (candlestick shrub). :D
I hope there's enough of it left to bloom before frost!
A.
Yea! Amanda! Post a picture! I have a large candlestick but it hasn't bloomed yet. I also have a senna coffee tree for them and it has bloomed. I am ready but no sulphers in sight. I am getting seeds from it also.
Crazy, how exciting it is to find that a plant you've babied since spring has holes all over it. :D
I'll get a snap in the morning. The plant is between 3' and 4' tall. I can't remember how many cats - are these something I should bring in? They are competing with the ants on the shrub. With all the other bugs in the house I might be content to let them be...
INSIDE tonight on a planter full of succulents I brought in last week I found what appeared to be a yellow striped armyworm! Blah. I did not take him and put him on my tomato plants, but I did take the planter back outside. Live and let live, you know?
So far I have 12 BST cocoons. I gave a neighbor a cat to watch with her family. There are 5 more still active here. There are 3 more BST in 1st or 2nd instar out there on my parsley. Brought the first monarch cat in today. Very tiny. I am concerned about the condition of my A. incarnata - very bad - and the number of aphids far outweigh any cats. I suppose that monarchs have been dealing with aphids on MW from the beginning of time.... I have to quit worrying.
Sleep tight everyone. :)
A.
Best of lucks, Amanda. I went to a local 'Flutters Fest' event yesterday. A celebration of simplicity, but also celebration of life seeing nature. I came home with two of these beauties in my care. Spicebush cats. Aren't they adorable?
Awesome! How fun is THAT?!
It was a delightful event. Here we were on a Butterflies and Dragonflies hike. An easy hike up the mountain (Ruffner Mountain), but energizing for kids of all ages. :))
It was a little less than what I've expected. There were but a handful of butterflies in display. A few Monarch, Common Buckeyes, Gulf Frits. and Hackberry Emperors ect. It was more of an educational gathering, rather than colorful festival.
A poster shows some of the common butterflies found in our State.
An innocent child admiring a bunch of caterpillars in a shurb on the ground.
Guess it's been a rough year for all of our bugs. Still looks like a nice time - better than housechores. :D
Have a pleasant day. Looks like another cup of coffee in my immediate future. ;)
A
The highlight of the day, I was getting acquanted with Hackberry Emperors. Here is one.
I learned that these 'emperors' are very territorial, like hummingbirds. They guard their host tree which are hackberry trees and will bombard other whose would get too close to theirs territory. Here this one landed on DH's back pocket. lol
For Sheila:
The cassia alata and sulfur cats. :)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1219447/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1219447/
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1219447/
Come on and chat about a different kind of bug.
A.
I know not much else about raising sulfurs, the Cassia alata are attractive plants. On with my EBSTs cats. development. I've one last 5th instar (the final stage larva) before it pupates. The other two had formed a J's shapes but are slowed to transform into their cocoons.
Also I read that when a Spicebush cat. is ready to pupate, its color turns from green to bright orange. Here it's!
The Spicebush cat. wandered aimlessly for half a day. I did some research and noticed that they pupate right among the leaves. So I went and got it a branch of Sassasfras sure enough, the orange cat. explored the area for a while then settled behind the leaves. This pic. was taken while it was wandering and kept falling off ... apparently its legs don't have much traction as other cats. that I've seen.
At the mean time, the very last of the EBST cat. is preparing to pupate. The two preceding it this morning have successfully formed their Chrysalides.
Very cool - the different cats all together in that picture. :)
Yes, look at the beautiful Spicebush cat. versus that 'thorny' looking of that of a Gulf Fritillary cat. lol. On the above pic. one can find an EBST chrysalis as well.
We have had 3 BST eclose the last two days...my daughter was quite excited when she found one crawling up her curtain - ended up finding it had formed it's chrysalis on her hat hung on the wall (yes we found 2 more escapee's too LOL)
#2 yesterday morning
Congrats on the eclosure of some of your very first BSTs Red. Beautiful picture, especially the 2nd one.
yay #4 this morning!
Very nice, isn't that a wonderful way to wake up in the morning. I bet your daughter is very pleased.
she is! but she did make me put a rubberband around the tulle on the hornworm jar as she wasn't thrilled about a Spinx moth flitting around her room in the middle of the night should it decide to come out soon LOL
^_^
Cant' say I blame her on that one. :D
Hey - thoughts on ME putting my cats in the fridge. I would never have thought that, but it's late enough/early enough I guess that these guys might come out and have time to . . ..
I pulled 3 tiny tiny BST off the parsley yesterday.
We found a BST carcass in the grass here in the yard over the weekend too.
Amanda - my friend Lourdes who has raised BST for several years said there is no need to fridge the BST's - she just keeps them in their cage until they eclose in the spring - hope this info helps...or do you have Monarchs your're asking this on?
I've only ever brought one BST in and it overwintered in my outside closet.
now I have 12+ in cocoon stage, and 5 or6 more to go.
Only 1 monarch. :/
Plus those crazy sulfurs - not sure if I've decided what to do with them.
It's good to know those BSTs will overwinter on their own. My last 5th instar and the cocoon formed yesterday.
That's like, a 6 man tent for 1 cat. :D
LOL, Amanda. I chose the "tent" since it was big enough to accomodate the parsley container. Small critters such as spiders do get by. I've to keep a watchful eye and remove the offender back out side of the tent when needed.
Success story with the Spicebush cat. It has pupated and now looks safely in its cocoon! (Pix to come later).
Here is a pix of a small Spicebush cat. and a Gulf Frit.
My very first Spicebush pupae. Life is indeed fragile, and one success is indeed a blessing. The smaller cat. is very elusive, one minute I saw it the next I don't. Apparently it camouflages itself real well among the leaves. I also had a Gulf Frit. cat that failed to pupate.
On the positive note, all the EBSTs are a-ok. Still no Monarch cats. to be seen in the garden.
