Re: Max Anderson
Posted: Mon May 27, 2024 4:12 pm
Small Copper
Late last year, the back garden became an incredibly useful place for me to become more familiar with Small Copper. They had occupied a south-facing slope into which I had plug planted some Sorrel.
There were at least 4 adults present, and I had a constant supply of eggs and caterpillars that meant I was busy during the late afternoons in September. I had such impressive numbers, that I was finding two or three caterpillars on some leaves, and over 50 eggs across the 6 plants that I had. The eggs are often laid on either the upper or underside of Sorrel leaves, or on the stems. On the leaves, the eggs are most often laid towards the edge, or along the midrib. I noticed that there were a few examples where the female had chosen to lay eggs near feeding damage, potentially because of the edge that is created by this.
I've been curious about where the caterpillars choose to pupate, and I surrounded two of the occupied Sorrel plants with dead leaves, in the hope that I might entice one of the wandering caterpillars to pupate on them. The vast majority disappeared, presumably to pupate somewhere dark and safe, close to the ground. I was surprised to find that one caterpillar took a liking to the dead leaves, which I kept track of for a few weeks until it emerged.
Late last year, the back garden became an incredibly useful place for me to become more familiar with Small Copper. They had occupied a south-facing slope into which I had plug planted some Sorrel.
There were at least 4 adults present, and I had a constant supply of eggs and caterpillars that meant I was busy during the late afternoons in September. I had such impressive numbers, that I was finding two or three caterpillars on some leaves, and over 50 eggs across the 6 plants that I had. The eggs are often laid on either the upper or underside of Sorrel leaves, or on the stems. On the leaves, the eggs are most often laid towards the edge, or along the midrib. I noticed that there were a few examples where the female had chosen to lay eggs near feeding damage, potentially because of the edge that is created by this.
I've been curious about where the caterpillars choose to pupate, and I surrounded two of the occupied Sorrel plants with dead leaves, in the hope that I might entice one of the wandering caterpillars to pupate on them. The vast majority disappeared, presumably to pupate somewhere dark and safe, close to the ground. I was surprised to find that one caterpillar took a liking to the dead leaves, which I kept track of for a few weeks until it emerged.