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My Orange Tip pupae were removed from the fridge on 14th April and are now colouring up. This male was injured while pupating last summer when it became slightly trapped. The tip of the pupa became bent (arrowed) and I didn’t expect it to live. But it is apparently fine and it will be interesting to see what damage – if any – there is to the imago when it emerges in a few days time.

(Don't forget to click on the image to see in better resolution)

I collected ten OT ova yesterday on flower heads of Hedge Garlic. Ova are much easier to find when a few days old and the colour has changed from the initial pale yellow to a much more prominent orange. Experience over the years (and I am ready to be corrected by other observations) is that females prefer to lay on Hedge Garlic when it is not growing too densely. A really dense patch of plants often disappoints. The more isolated plants are often more productive when egg-searching. I cut off the stem to a length of some 15 – 20 cms, keep in water outside in the shade until about 3-4 weeks after hatching, the larvae are almost fully grown at which stage they are transferred to a plastic container together with a few small twigs on which they will pupate (often – annoyingly – they select the lid of the container). I have had some cannibalism when small but when large and put into the boxes, no problems. The cannibalism of the small larvae almost seems to be accidental; they much away at the seed pods and if a smaller larvae happens to be there, it might simply be eaten. I have never witnessed any actual “attacks”.

Orange Tips are very easy to breed, common so no harm can come in taking a few. Moreover – unlike more local species – they are so widespread that they don’t really need to be released in the locality they came from.

Give Orange Tip breeding a try. Great fun and with this abundant and widespread species, I don’t have any conservation concerns.

Jack

Nice summary, Jack.

I was out this afternoon walking the dogs and noticed that the council were getting ready to trim the verges of the local park - so I now have 2 OT eggs myself

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Jack,

I'm interested in your orange tips. Please do post some pictures of them emerging and expanding their wings - or even video of it if you are able to do that.

Remind me how long you have had the pupae in the fridge, and how soon after pupation you put them in. I do remember you mentioning this in an earlier post.

Guy

Yeah, I'd like to know your progress too! My Orange-Tip pupae still looks not near emerging, maybe something happened to it, idk. I'll post a pic of it later, maybe someone could tell. I checked about 20 cuckoo flowers today, no eggs yet, maybe I'll breed one or two, have to see what happens with my pupae at moment first.

...how soon after pupation you put them in...

I leave them outdoors until the first frosts, so circa October/November. I don't think it's critical to put in the fridge until even as late as February but experience has shown that if left outside (in the garage) in all temperatures, there is a tendency for them to emerge far too early and not have any friends to meet The fridge treatment avoids this early emergence.

It would be worthwhile to conduct an experiment by cooling off very early, say July, and then after some six to eight weeks, bring them out into the warmth and see if a second brood can be triggered.

Jack

As a total beginner Jack, could you tell me how long the eggs take to hatch?
Susie gave me an egg that was laid last Friday, so it will be a week old tomorrow.
Looking at it this evening (in the garden) I could swear that it was moving.
Now I know that my eyes are not as good as they used to be, but is this possible?
I have ordered a magnifying glass, but it might arrive too late.
I am quite excited at the prospect of becoming a mum again
Denise

First two or three days eggs are yellow. Then they turn orange and hatch about a week later.

Eggs are very easy to find. Just check the flower heads of Hedge Garlic or Cuckoo Flower or one of the other recognised foodplants.

Can't remember if I posted this earlier - I certainly sent piccie to somebody. About to emerge.

Jack

jackharr wrote:First two or three days eggs are yellow. Then they turn orange and hatch about a week later.
Jack

My egg was bright orange last Saturday, so that would mean that it's about to hatch!
Thanks Jack.

Denise

Denise wrote:

jackharr wrote:First two or three days eggs are yellow. Then they turn orange and hatch about a week later.
Jack

My egg was bright orange last Saturday, so that would mean that it's about to hatch!
Thanks Jack.

Denise

Oh, exciting!! I shall have to go and check the ones in the garden tomorrow and see how they are doing too.

jackharr wrote:First two or three days eggs are yellow. Then they turn orange and hatch about a week later.

Eggs are very easy to find. Just check the flower heads of Hedge Garlic or Cuckoo Flower or one of the other recognised foodplants.

Can't remember if I posted this earlier - I certainly sent piccie to somebody.

OrangeTipPupa.jpg

About to emerge.

Jack

Nice pic Jack! I'm sure I would have remember seeing it

Cheers,

- Pete

"Oscar" flew away today. (The "healthy" pupa) Here he is enjoying a dandelion. His friend, "Bent Bill" (piccie earlier in this thread) didn't suffer any deformities after the pupation mishap and also flew off strongly.Jack

Hi Jack,
I have been watching my egg several times a day, and this morning it has changed colour. Yesterday it was still bright orange, but today it has a few dark spots. Does this mean that it is about to hatch? Or is it doomed? (Sorry about the quality, bit of a rush job)
Denise

It's going to hatch real soon

Cheers,

- Pete

Mine is about to hatch soon too! Taken with my Samsung Digimax L85 on Manual mode:


F2.9
Exposure: 1/125sec
ISO-50
Metering: Multi Spot
Exposure: 0 Step
Flash on


F2.9
Exposure: 1/125sec
ISO-400 (Probably why more noise, should have set it lower)
Metering: Multi Spot
Exposure: 0 Step
Flash on

How long would it be from this stage until it pupates?

I've been watching it all day, no news yet.

I'm a mummy!
Just hatched.

Nice photo - I've never managed to catch "the moment"

Cheers,

- Pete

Congratulations and great photos too, Denise!


I feel like a proud granny (in a good way!).

will there be another brood of adults later in year or will the pupae stay till nxt year?

I missed mine hatching as I was in college. Took me forever to find the little thing and photograph it, its so tiny!

Almost too small for me to photograph, so this is the best I have so far