Hi everyone,
Today I discovered something awkward! I have a number of Archon apollinus pupae that I collected in Syria this spring.
From mid November on I've kept these in the refrigerator at 2-3°C, which should approach the average December temperature
on the mountain where I collected them. When I checked the pupae today, I found that, despite the low temperatures, roughly
half of them already contain fully developed adults. Has anyone ever experienced this with A. apollinus?
Development of the adult at such low temperatures might of course be beneficial in snowy, mountainous areas where the onset of
spring is very fast as soon as the snow has melted. This spring I indeed saw some males from A. apollinus that were very worn,
while I was told that the locality was still covered with snow only 3 weeks earlier.
Some time ago I read on this forum that another early species, Endromis versicolora, actually hibernates as a fully developed adult
inside its pupa. Does anyone know when the development of the adult starts in E. versicolora? And for how long the adult can survive
unhatched at low temperatures? The reason I'm asking, is because I am not sure what I should do with the A. apollinus pupae: let
the developed adults emerge now, or keep them cold until spring (hoping they will survive)?
Regards, Klaas
