www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I noticed yesterday, that Oates skin looked 'loose'. and this morning he has shed it, and now has green eyes. Is this 2nd instar?
As the morning has gone on, he has gotten darker. Denise

What a difference a day makes!

Still growing well.

Mine died or something. I forgot to change foodplant and came back and found nothing. I did not see it in the box I was keeping it in, it could not have escaped and the foodplant was practically gone. What could have happened? Could it eat itself? (I know they are cannibalistic)

It would have had great difficulty eating itself, Dave!!

I suggest one of the following has to be true:
* It pupated discreetly. You couldn't see it because you were looking for a caterpillar, not a pupa. Try looking in the corners of the box.
* It escaped.
* It got eaten by something capable of getting in and out of your box (like ants, for example).
* It is still there as a caterpillar and you're just missing it, perhaps because it's changed instar and colour.
* It was eaten from within by some parasite.

Running out of ideas now. But logically, if it didn't get out, it's still in there.

Guy

padfield wrote:It would have had great difficulty eating itself, Dave!!

I suggest one of the following has to be true:
* It pupated discreetly. You couldn't see it because you were looking for a caterpillar, not a pupa. Try looking in the corners of the box.
* It escaped.
* It got eaten by something capable of getting in and out of your box (like ants, for example).
* It is still there as a caterpillar and you're just missing it, perhaps because it's changed instar and colour.
* It was eaten from within by some parasite.

Running out of ideas now. But logically, if it didn't get out, it's still in there.

Guy

* It pupated discreetly. You couldn't see it because you were looking for a caterpillar, not a pupa. Try looking in the corners of the box. - No, the box is not big enough for me not to miss it

* It escaped. So far I am going on that might have happened

* It got eaten by something capable of getting in and out of your box (like ants, for example). - If ants are getting into my bedroom or something like it, I'd probably know by now

* It is still there as a caterpillar and you're just missing it, perhaps because it's changed instar and colour. There is no way I could not have seen the caterpillar in that box

* It was eaten from within by some parasite. Possible, there was a fly in my room which I keep getting rid of.

Well, I'll be more careful with my OT pupae, its still safe and alive.

Final instar. An unusual view of Oates trying to become invisible to predators by mimicking the plant.

Interesting to see how far your larva has got, Denise. I found a first-instar one just south of Bath earlier this week.

I had two fresh pupae by Saturday 6th June.

Jack

will there be another brood, or will pupae stay till nxt spring?

Almost certainly won't emerge until next spring.

Jack