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Purple Hairstreak Larvae

Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2021 3:18 am
by PhilBJohnson
Favonius quercus( Purple Hairstreak species) spent most of it's life cycle as an egg.
Apparently eggs survived autumn leaf fall by being laid on a bud in mid-summer.
In a winter storm, where twigs became detached, was there any possibility of larval survival in the old leaf flitter (might not be litter) on or near a woodland ground, other than by human collection?
Larval camouflage might not have been a problem.
#FavoniusQuercus (facebook hashtag).

Re: Purple Hairstreak Larvae

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 8:14 pm
by ChrisStamp
Very little chance - the emerging larvae need to find living oak buds, so unless one is touching the ground near them or they can find and climb an oak tree trunk (both very unlikely), they are probably doomed unfortunately.