Purple hairstreak

[Padfield]

Advice from Pete (or someone else with his vast experience!) needed!

The local oaks are just beginning to break. A couple of days ago I took a sprig and stuck it in water. Today the first leaves are unfurling:



SO, I have taken my orphaned quercus egg out of the fridge and left it to warm up. This is what it currently looks like:



I'm hoping that very soon a tiny person will chew its way out of that micropyle.

Questions:

How long might I expect to wait? I took it out of the fridge at about midday today.

When it comes out, should I put it on an unfurled leaf or a still-furled bud?

Thanks,

Guy

EDIT:

For the record, as the egg was right in the buds I couldn't take it off on a shaving so I have kept the whole twig-end. This is how I am warming it up - in a small container, on white paper, so I can easily see when if it comes out.

[David M]

Your attention to detail is admirable, Guy. Best of luck!

[Piers]

Guy.
Put the paper underneath the box, rather than in it. This makes it easier for you to see the fellow rather than loose sight of him when he crawls under the paper after emergence from the egg.

He may hatch surprisingly quickly depending upon the temperature. Enough humidity can be provided merely by 'huffing' ones breath into the box and closing the lid. If the box has not got a lid be vigilant; the larvae are surprisingly mobile.

I deliberately 'over hibernated' my white letter hairstreak larvae in the refrigerator to ensure that the elm leaves had unfurled by the time that they emerged. They all hatched within an hour or so of being brought into room temperature.

When you observe the tiny larva, transfer him to a swollen bud using the tip of a moistened paintbrush. Choose a bud that is on the point of bursting forth, but don't worry overly about whether or not the bud is to his liking, he will scamper off to another if he decides that it is not suitable.

The young larvae can survive for many hours without food and travel huge distances, possibly thousands of times their body length, before they are in any danger of expiring.

Good luck.

Felix.

[Padfield]

Thanks! I'll let you know when something happens!

Guy

[Paul]

I have occasionally been known to wire the dead old bud to the leaf breaking twig, thereby taking away any fear he will not find the greenery he wants. It can be re-wired anytime needed. Then place the twig in water, bunged up so he can't drown, and place white paper under the said twig.... and wait for the frass to find out where he takes up residence. - of course various other looper catties may be hitching a ride on your chosen twigs as well

[Piers]

I have used a similar technique Paul, but with Evostick* rather than wire, just for the sake of speed when applying a large number of ova.

*Other adhesives are available.

[Pete Eeles]

All sounds like good advice to me!

Just checking - but your container does have a lid? Also, the smaller the container, the less "hunting around" you'll need to do to find the critter, which will be about the same size as this "full stop" .

If you keep this indoors (and *never* in direct sunlight), then it'll emerge in the next 12-24 hours.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

Well, he hasn't emerged yet. The egg looks perfectly healthy and undamaged but it did come from a felled branch and of course it is possible that vibrations from the felling or the impact of the branch with the ground resulted in invisible damage to the caterpillar inside (the branch was felled in February, when the caterpillar would have been fully formed).

In the short term, I intend to enclose the oak twigs I put him on in a clear plastic bag, tied around the stem. Obviously, this will get humid inside, through transpiration, so I'll clear the air regularly. But I haven't got any breeding cages or suchlike.

If all goes well, I will return him to an oak in the Rhône Valley, whence he came, as soon as possible. It is quite possible that my local purple hairstreaks are genetically adapted for life in the cool mountains, while the Valley boys are adapted to a Mediterranean climate. The oaks in the Valley are well ahead of those here.

His name is Quentin.

Guy

PS - Just read your post Pete. Yes, the container has a lid. It is one of the plastic boxes I take into the field for restraining Pyrgus skippers for identification!! If you see this post in time, would it be OK to leave him in the tiny box overnight, without any nutrition in there? Is he likely to emerge during the night?

[Pete Eeles]

would it be OK to leave him in the tiny box overnight, without any nutrition in there? Is he likely to emerge during the night?

Yes. As Felix says, they can spend quite a while without food. I've inadvertently left larvae for over a day (i.e. I was surprised they emerged, typically, so wasn't looking! ... )and they've been just fine.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pete Eeles]

In the short term, I intend to enclose the oak twigs I put him on in a clear plastic bag, tied around the stem. Obviously, this will get humid inside, through transpiration, so I'll clear the air regularly. But I haven't got any breeding cages or suchlike.

If you have some netting, that might be best since there won't be a buildup of moisture. In this case, the netting isn't to keep the larva on the bud (they won't move once they've found it!); it's more a case of keep predators out.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

Thanks again. Quentin has no idea how lucky he is!

I've only once before reared a caterpillar - a small tortoiseshell stowaway who had crept into my camera bag to pupate. I was awestruck to see the adult butterfly when it emerged. Although I definitely won't see Quentin through to emergence, because he doesn't belong up here in the mountains, it will be equally wonderful to watch him grow through his first instar.

Guy