pupation temperature

[dannus plex]

Maybe this has been have been answered before but I can't find it. Do cooler temperatures prolong the time in pupa?

[skates4marty]

Yes. I rear in the house. I don't over-air-condition; it's probably about 74 F (23 C) degrees. Most of my C's eclose on Day 12. One time my mother was going to be visiting in August, and I wanted her to be able to see a new butterfly. I moved some new C's to the covered porch. Under there, it is completely in shade, but I'm in Maryland, so it's still 80's and 90's. They eclosed on Day 9.

[Mona Miller]

At fall temps, it can take 4-5 weeks for them to emerge outside. My friend Denise Gibbs, naturalist with a biology degree, actually noted the number of days after temps fall below 50 at night.

I found a caterpillar hanging outside on my birthday, which was 12 days ago. It was able to pupate at the temperature then. But, has been in the pupa stage since then. I wanted to see how long it would take with temps falling below 50 at night and some cold weather during the day. Temps in the low 70s. Well, today I found that someone had had a snack last night. All that was left was the top. So many get eaten in all stages.

[dannus plex]

Belated birthday wishes Mona!
So my problem is this. I have one pupa left, about 12 days green, and I am on the north shore of Lake Erie. Our home is down to 18 (64) degrees at night. Outside temps now do not go higher than about 13 (50) for this time of year. I could have an eclosion late into this year. What do I do with the adult?
Dr. Fink's recipe? Paint attenna black and study the specimen and see how it overwinters in Ontario?
Fridge to freezer? I am curious to hear other opinions.

[Mona Miller]

If you have an incandescent light, you can put the pupa close to it. Monitor temperature so that it does not go over 85 degrees. Mist at least once a day. The warmth of the light will help it eclose faster. If you read the document that I just posted, then you will know that they can withstand freezing temps if they aren't wet for several days.
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomolo ... venson.htm

Just read a post on the dplex (Monarch Watch's other list serve) that Monarchs are still traveling thru the Lake Erie area.

"The Town of Cobourg is about 100 km east of Cobourg. While the morning low temperature here was about 5 C (low 40's F), there was little wind when I arrived here at 11 am. As I walked down towards the lake at Victoria Beach, a lone monarch gracefully flew along and landed in an ornamental elm behind the ampitheatre. While the air temperature remained cool - particulary if you went into the shade, the sun was remarkably warm. This monarch opened up its wings to warm up. Other individuals walking the beach and boardwalk area noted they had also seen individual monarchs this morning. There was little or no wind in the morning, but in the afternoon, stronger north-wests arrived, blowing migrating raptors southward which then in turn head westward along the lake shore. Daytime high will be about 12 C (about 54 F).
No monarchs noted yesterday at the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory near Windsor.
Don Davis, Toronto, ON"

http://www.monarchwatch.org/dplex/index.htm
Up to date Monarch News.

I've never heard of painting the antenna black and I would never recommend freezing a healthy Monarch. I'd wait for a sunny day and let it go. Just need temps above 50.