Question on Nymphalis antiopa

Hello,

The temperature finally warmed up yesterday to produce some activity. I caught a mix of male and female antiopa. Ideally, I would like to pair them later this spring.

I currently live in a dorm, and I don't have many options for storage. I could keep them in my mesh cage and feed them, but I am worried that they will tire and age rapidly in the heat of my room. Would building a small container and keeping them overwintering in my fridge be a good idea? It is cooling off rapidly outside to below 0, so I imagine they are naturally returning to their slumber. I would wake them up sometime in a month or so.

Any ideas?

Thank you

Zitat von Ashleymoths

You could buy a small pop up type cage that fits in fridge....

Not a bad idea but I'm not sure if I have space.

Zitat von kevink

I raised this species last season to specifically overwinter and then release them in the spring, I fed the adults after they emerged,

then put each on in an envelope and then in the fridge, all expired.

I was told later by the breeder that the adults must go into hibernation on their own, naturally.

You are in a difficult spot, and I'm relating my experience and the advice I got from someone with experience, he told me he would

allow the butterflies to go into hibernation on their own, presumably in an outdoor flight cage and then store them in an unheated garage.

Without permission, I don't think I can name the breeder, but if you ask this question in the Forum on Insectnet, you may get other useful advice if you don't get it here.

Alles anzeigen

Thanks for the information, Kevin. I am sorry to hear about your experience. That seems to mimic the experience of a breeder in Iowa. Maybe that is the same person you talked to.

Zitat von kevink

I see, you must mean Mr. David Thompson, the gentleman who sold me the ova, there can't be that many guys in Iowa that handle Nymphalis antiopa, I may raise them again and simply release the adults, here in Lincoln county Oregon we have quite a large number of Nymphalis californica that fly nearby, and last season were using a large dead tree covered in Ivy for sunning, unfortuately, the lot is difficult for anyone ground bound to navigate, I'm guessing that at least some are tucked away eve now within the dense ivy. We are very near the ocean, within hearing and smelling distance.

Yeah, Mr. Thompson has sent me ova the past couple years. Although, for some reason the neonate larvae often die. I am determined to try it again. I used to live back in LA as a kid, and I would find the wandering mature caterpillars. I don't much anymore. I have yet to complete a whole cycle.

The californica sounds interesting. I think I know only person who has reared them. In my state (Wisconsin) we get vaualbum. However, it seems I have to keep moving north to see a decent amount. A good friend of mine who's been rearing for 50 years or so in Nebraska is still waiting to rear them. I caught a female last Spring but she refused to lay anything.

I hope you keep rearing them. Nymphalis is such a neat genus.

Zitat von kevink

I had to look up"neonate".

I don't think I've ever lost any larva, I've raised them twice now. I actually don't follow David's instructions and keep the ova in a small

condiment cup until they hatch, and the larva are small, so I simply take the cup outdoors, use a small sleeve and put the cup inside,

I use Salix babylonica.

This year I have two butterfly traps, very affordable traps from this website- http://www.forestry-suppliers.com ,they also sell sleeves and a lot of other supplies, and now that Bioquip has been closed, a good source of supplies, I'll be trying to trap some of the californica.

A side note, I just saw an article about a Nymphalid previously thought extinct in the U.K., I don't recall the name, a giant "something"

I've got a colecting trip already planned to a spot near Pendleton this June to hunt for Hyalophora kasloensis, a friend living in the area

told me I'd have a good chance, wish for good weather, it'll be a new area in any event.

Alles anzeigen

I will try a method similar to yours this Spring. I think they have rejected my food in the past. Last year they fed for a few days but didn't last.

Oh, are you talking about the polychloros? I'd love to see them sometime. Californica bares a strong resemblance.

Good luck with the Hyalophora! Sounds very interesting.

Zitat von kevink

Yes, Nymphalis polychloros is the one thought extinct in the UK, they do look like californica.

When I feed butterflies, I've used hummingbird food with electrolytes, it's a clear premix made by Kaytee, and I have to fed them singly by hand, with the antiopa, I also used rotted peaches from our tree, I have a giant flight cage indoors, I can get inside of, it's actually made by the same company that makes the pop up cages, but it will not fit through a regular door unce unfolded. This season I'm going to make some butterfly bait, there are different recipes people use for different species. Side note- for sphinx moths, I've used the Kaytee in a small dish with fake or real flowers floating in it, and I've used that for Hyles lineata, now that I am writing this, that might work for butterflies as well, hard to get enough flowers on live plants to sustain anything.

Hummingbird food works. I've used Gatorade, honey, or sugar water depending on the context. Also fruit. Generally, it works. I've had some species like about 7-8 months as adults. Never tried feeding sphinx before.