Black Swallowtail Question (For Mona or anyone else)

[dandjtaylor]

Ok, this is my first year with other butterflies (other than Monarchs). I currently have 12 Black Swallowtail Chrysali and 4 cats. My question is: are these all going to overwinter at my latitude (Salem, MA...42.5N) or can I expect butterflies to emerge. And if they do stay as pupa, do I keep them in the fridge?

Dwayne
Waystation #2638

[Mona Miller]

I keep mine on my porch, which is covered in one of those Live Monarch or Educational Science net containers. I do the same with moths. Or, I put the net container in the garage with a deli container fill with water, with holes in the lid so there is a bit of humidity in the container.

The problem with the frig is that it dries the pupae out. Some people who have wine coolers keep the pupae in their wine coolers.

With regards to emerging, if you keep them cool most of them will winter over, but I keep a watch on them. Some days in late fall, we have warm periods and that can trigger emergence. Also, in the early spring.

[dandjtaylor]

So freezing is not an issue? It can get single digits up here in Salem.

Dwayne

[Mona Miller]

They are ready for the winter when they diapause their bodies make a type of anti-freeze. Butterflies winter over usually in sheltered areas. Log piles are great place for them to winter over. Adults of the Mourning Cloak, Question Marks, and Commas winter over as adults. Some species winter over as caterpillars and the rest pupae. I don't know of any that winter over as eggs.

[dandjtaylor]

And just like that, it looks as if two may eclose today. THey are quite large chrysalis as well. Hopefully, they find "friends" and come back to the bronze fennel and parsley.

Dwayne

[Mona Miller]

So they are actually emerging from their chrysalis. So they will not winter over. They'd better find friends fast. Not too much warm weather left.

Eclosing means coming out of the pupa or chrysalis.
Pupating means making a pupa or chrysalis.

[dandjtaylor]

The female must have founds "a friend". She returned today and oviposited at least 4 eggs, but those are the ones I witnessed. I don't dare try searching the parsley...they are waaaaayyy too dense to bother. I'll hope for cats next week.

DWayne

[Mona Miller]

How cold is it there? I've noted that as the weather turns colder the caterpillar color gets darker. I'm thinking that it helps them to absorb more light and keep warmer.

[dandjtaylor]

Well,it is consistantly in the 70's daytime with nights ranging from 50-58. I'll check these next cats to see if I notice a color difference. All but 3 from the previous batch are pupae. One of those three is hanging with his girdle...should be a day or so from pupation. THese are kept in my shed so the temperatures are a bit elevated in the day, probably 10 degrees warmer than ambient air. The monarchs are still growing pretty fast. I am trying to hustle them up and out before it's too late for them.

Dwayne

[dandjtaylor]

OK, Mona, back at you...I retained 14 black swallowtail chrysilis in my shed overte winter (originally 18 but it appears a resident squirrel got curious with four of them). Anyway, I misted them occasionally when I could open the shed when the snow wasn't blocking it. Well, my greenhouse in my spare bedroom is really a huge success so about 3 weeks ago I tried an experiment and brought five inside under the timed grow lights. I figured at least five should yield at least one of each sex. Well, Saturday, the first emerged, a female. Then Sunday a second and third, also pefect, a boy and another girl. They have water, nectar, bananas, oranges and of course, lots of Rudbeckias, Zinnias and mexican sunflowers. I have glanced in occasionally hoping to see a "coupling" but haven't caught them yet. However, one of the females is looking a bit warn and has started ovipositing today on the parsley and dill. Has she most likely bred or do they occasionally lay even if the male hasn't gotten to her? Sorry for the long story lead-in.

THanks

[Mona Miller]

They can lay eggs that are sterile. I hope they are not. Do you have enough to feed them?

[dandjtaylor]

Plenty for adults and little ones. The parsley and dill are growing like crazy a dozen of each. It is 75 degrees and the lights are on for 16 hours. The zinnias and hirtas have nice large blossoms on them. Water and nectar in sponges on plates and in plastic champaigne cups.

In the time since I posted, I have now seen her accept him as he fluttered by her. They "are doing it" on the light chain. All is happy now!

Thanks

[Mona Miller]

Tomorrow, we might have sun. I had released some Tigers and Zebras earlier in the week. I've seen Zebras withstand spring temps down to 25 degrees. Zebras will lay on the buds, leaflets, truck, twigs of the Pawpaw. When the spring is chilly, the eggs take longer to hatch.