Orange-Tip Eggs

[Dave McCormick]

I was out on a BC field trip today and came across some cuckoo flowers. I decided to look as I'd expect Orange-Tip eggs. I did find eggs on all plants I searched, everyone with us was trying to phtograph the eggs, so I only was able to get a few shots in there.

OT Egg

I have never noticed this before, but a few cuckoo flowers have 3 eggs on them each and I know the caterpillars have canabalistic tendancies and eat echother as only one plant is enough for one cat. Is there any reason for this? Could it be the lack of cuckoo flowers in are? I haven't seen fery many around the area I was in, but there was garlic mustard growing nearby. (There is one egg you can just barely see under the flower on right of it):

3 OT Eggs

[Padfield]

Nice shots, Dave!

I've got into eggs this year (as you might have noticed from my posts) but I haven't looked for orange tips yet. I ought to.

Guy

EDIT - given the fact that not all eggs hatch successfully it makes sense to lay a couple, or even more, on a good plant if these are in limited supply. If both eggs hatch, you might lose one; but this might be less damaging than laying on inappropriate plants just to follow the rule, 'one plant, one egg'.

[felix123]

Went to Ware cliffs today and came across a big patch of lady's smock and found OT eggs.

Felix

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks Guy

EDIT - given the fact that not all eggs hatch successfully it makes sense to lay a couple, or even more, on a good plant if these are in limited supply. If both eggs hatch, you might lose one; but this might be less damaging than laying on inappropriate plants just to follow the rule, 'one plant, one egg'.

Now that you mention it, it would make sense. I just saw similar on learnaboutbutterflies: http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Bu ... 0Diary.htm a cuckoflower photo with two eggs, so that could be the likley case. Suppose I didn't notice this before as where I have been seeing OTs, there are lots of cuckoo flowers about and they are not as restricted to the place I was where there was at most 6-7 cuckoo flowers in the area.

[Dave McCormick]

A friend of mine said he recently saw a cuckoo flower with 12 Orange-Tip eggs on the stem of the plant. Never seen or heard of this before. Anyone have an idea why this could have happened?