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Post by admin on Sept 8, 2016 14:20:10 GMT -8
Let's say you have some Papilio that pupated late in the year and you want to overwinter them until next spring. I would like to hear your methods. Please include species you have successfully done this with, temperature you used, dates, methods, your geographical location including elevation. Thanks.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 8, 2016 15:41:47 GMT -8
I have a crawl space under our house. I use a metal cage and secure the chrysalis to a sheet of Styrofoam covered with paper towels, heads up, and keep them moist. I use a spray bottle and mist them at least twice a day. The crawl space get cold in the winter but never freezes. There are a number of vents which I close during the winter, however, I have two vents I cover with a piece of 1/4"plexiglass. Although somewhat diminishedd the chrysalids experience the sun cycle (Cycle of light).
Once the weather warms in early April, I move them to the back deck where they emerge several days or weeks later.
Prior to this home I never had a house with a crawl space. I kept the cages in the garage which were attached to the house. However, keeping them moist requires discipline, regardless of what you rear and take over the winter. I took over 300 Colias philodice and Colias eurytheme larvae over the winter under my deck. I want these exposed to the weather. I also took 50+ adult females over the winter in cages under my deck. It was a normal winter and I lost about 30% of the adults who died from unknown causes. I also misted them from time to time, especially during warm periods. Again, discipline is essential.
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Post by admin on Sept 10, 2016 9:44:37 GMT -8
Seems like a helluva lot of work. Why not just put them in the refrigerator?
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 10, 2016 13:57:25 GMT -8
I was attempting to create a natural environment to obtain a specific result. I am not rearing to obtain perfect specimens. Colias eurytheme and Colias philodice occur late into the fall and will appear during warm periods during Winter. These cold weather forms have dark green hindwings. How and when does that form occur.
I originally tried to accomplish this during a 2001 to 2003 study. But I could never have the green hindwing form occur all my rearing.
I started again in the fall of 2015. I currently have six families of Colias eurytheme and 8 families of Colias philodice. This project will go on for at least 3 more years, providing I live that long.
Being retired gives me opportunities to do things I never had time to do when I was employed.
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