Provençal Orange Tip (POT) pupation
Posted: Tue May 19, 2020 5:50 pm
Hi Folks,
My local park on the outskirts of Marseilles has a short section of path along which Buckler's mustard grows and which supports a very small and fragile population of Anthocharis euphenoides (Provençal / Moroccan Orange Tip). This year I located 1 caterpillar, and knowing that the strimmers will soon be there, I decided to make sure that the cat is allowed to pupate. I recovered two Buckler's mustard plants from a few km away where it grows in relative abundance, and which should be sufficient to feed the rescued cat.
Here is the cat in the park on Buckler's mustard before it was rescued. It is just about 25 mm long.
May 13th The recovered host plant, Buckler's mustard, in my garden, ready to receive the rescued cat The photo studio Five days later - May 18th - 10.30 am 10.53 am 11.05 am 6.35 pm May 19th - 8.09 am 10.00 am 10.43 am 10.47 am 10.51 am 11.15 am The pupa should turn a beige colour in the coming days.
I am now wondering whether to return the pupa immediately to the park or whether to keep it and photograph the BF emergence next spring before releasing it back into the park.
For the uninitiated, this is what the POT adults looks like: Chris
My local park on the outskirts of Marseilles has a short section of path along which Buckler's mustard grows and which supports a very small and fragile population of Anthocharis euphenoides (Provençal / Moroccan Orange Tip). This year I located 1 caterpillar, and knowing that the strimmers will soon be there, I decided to make sure that the cat is allowed to pupate. I recovered two Buckler's mustard plants from a few km away where it grows in relative abundance, and which should be sufficient to feed the rescued cat.
Here is the cat in the park on Buckler's mustard before it was rescued. It is just about 25 mm long.
May 13th The recovered host plant, Buckler's mustard, in my garden, ready to receive the rescued cat The photo studio Five days later - May 18th - 10.30 am 10.53 am 11.05 am 6.35 pm May 19th - 8.09 am 10.00 am 10.43 am 10.47 am 10.51 am 11.15 am The pupa should turn a beige colour in the coming days.
I am now wondering whether to return the pupa immediately to the park or whether to keep it and photograph the BF emergence next spring before releasing it back into the park.
For the uninitiated, this is what the POT adults looks like: Chris