Overwintering Orange-tip pupae

[Matsukaze]

Hi All,

I have 10 Orange-tips that have made it to the pupal stage, and currently have them in transparent, lidded yogurt pots, still on the stems of the foodplant. Would it be best to put them in the fridge now and leave them there till next spring? Do I need to change the air once in a while, or moisten the pupae?

[petesmith]

Hi Matsukaze,
I certainly wouldn't put them in the fridge just yet - a cool outhouse or garage would be better, somewhere away from direct heat or sunlight, then put them in the fridge around October time. If they are on the foodplant still in plastic boxes there should be enough natural moisture to keep them healthy - just watch out for any mould growth and make sure there is no frass left in the container with the pupae.
I have overwintered dozens in this way with 100% success. The tricky bit is deciding when to remove them from the fridge if you want them to emerge synchronised with your local population!

[Matsukaze]

Thanks Pete - that's great.

[Matsukaze]

My first reared Orange-tip adult emerged today. Its first flight was unusually high for the species - it seemed to be thinking about trying to fly over our roof - then it settled down to behaving like a normal male Orange-tip.

15 more pupae to go. The pupae seem very robust - it's tricky for me to examine them closely, but I can't work out which pupa this one emerged from!

[petesmith]

My first reared Orange-tip adult emerged today. Its first flight was unusually high for the species - it seemed to be thinking about trying to fly over our roof - then it settled down to behaving like a normal male Orange-tip.

Congratulations on your first-born Chris! The high first flight is quite usual in my experience for many captive-reared butterflies when they are first released - they seem to do a bit of an "orientation flight", often roughly circular and gradually rising higher, to get their bearings, before returning to more "normal" flight behaviour.

[bugboy]

You had better results than I did, I just ended up with 2 parasitoids in my fridge all winter

[Matsukaze]

Four more emerged today - all males so far. 11 to go - may have lost one or two to parasitoids too, as some of the pupae are looking very dark.

Many thanks to Pete for his advice last year!

I am surprised how 'fluffy' the adults are. Usually I don't get a chance to look at them for any length of time close-up!

[David M]

Four more emerged today - all males so far.

Nice work, Chris. Must be lovely to see these beauties emerge from the pupal state. Fingers crossed for the rest.

[Sij]

Lovely species.