Interesting. Thanks for sharing this.

It has not been a good year for most butterflies in this area. But, so far a good year for Spicebush and Pipevine Swallowtails, if I can give them protection. There are way too many European Paperwasp out eating every thing that wiggles.

I've seen the European Paperwasp actually landing on water to take a drink. They put out their legs, dip down to get a drink, and then take flight.

The EUROPEAN paper wasp? Is that something new? I assume the paper wasps we have here are N.A. natives - we don't need any more lep predators!
That's very interesting information, Larry! I didn't realize that the amount of daylight is what triggers their diapause, although it's certainly logical - they say birds' migration is triggered by length of daylight. I did notice that they make their hibernaculum when it's not cold, barely cool and they are still very small - 'seems like they'd eat more and get bigger before winter. I doubt that I'll ever want to fool with Mother Nature and fake the amount of light they get - 'too much trouble for lazy old me! :)
Sherry

Very interesting info, Larry.

I've searched willow trees for hibernacula of the Limenitis archippus, but have never found them. I've got two chrysalides that I raised on a Black Willow volunteer in my backyard. The tree is in the worst possible place and needs to come out--but I don't want to give up my L archippus eggs/caterpillars source.

Sandy

MissSherry,
Building the hibernacula is just their getting ready for what is coming. Most do continue to feed, molt again befoe the weather turns and overwinter as 3rd instar larvae. But some that don't started building early enough do overwinter as 2nd instar, and I have found a few 1st instar in hibernacula. Light timers girl for controlling photoperiod.

Sandy,
Finding hibernacula is certainly a learned technique. First by teaching your eyes to see them against a jumbled, mostly multicolored plant background that all stays in focus to your eyes. That can be improved on by getting down and backlighting them against the sky, water or a distant landscape where the colors tend to blur together into a more soild color. But once you find your first on a days foray it gets easier, like you have re-tuned your eyes to see them. Second, by noticing "where" most are found on an entire plant, you also learn not to waste time searching in less productive areas on plants. Like us they are creature of habit, so more often than not will be in the same general regions on each plant, and usually on or near the terminal end of a branchlet. Most will also be on a the approximate south facing side of the plant, and lower than you might expect to take advatage of any heat radiated by the winter sun or reflected from the ground. We found most Limenitis hibernacula between knee and head high, and if there was a stream, pond or lake also on the E/S/W side all the better. Also, isolated plants (rather than a clump/grove of them) tend to be meccas, with several hibernacula on each plant that are easier to find.

Larry

FWIW, easily finding lepadopteran livestock in the wild is first researching/knowing their life histories so you go to a place where they probably live, and second applying simple logic. With those two tools alone we could go to new to us habitats looking for new to us species and easily find livestock usually. As you gain experience from doing it gets easiler and easier until it will be a rare foray that you don't successfuly find the livestock of several species.

I found several on the cherry tree right by my porch this past winter, but didn't see anything emerge in the spring.
Here's one from the previous year right after the little cat had come out -
{{gwi:498101}}
Sherry

They look like a larger version of a yellow jacket. Very bad predators of caterpillars.

Here is a link that might be useful: European Paperwasp

This wasp looks like bad news! I don't think I've ever seen it here, unless I thought I was looking at a yellow jacket. My state isn't on the list of states where it occurs - 'hope it stays that way!
You really need to find caterpillars quickly - or get the eggs - in order to have butterflies. It also said they're a threat to cavity nesting birds - terrible!
Sherry

I actually saw them trying to eat a dead bird at the park. It was a young blue jay. It was in the butterfly garden. I put it into a plastic bag to take it out of sight so no one would be upset. It is upsetting seeing a young bird dead.

Sherry,

A fair share of them do not survive the winter, even when brought in and kept in a controlled climate. Dessication is probably the biggest cause, even in the winter. Why females lay more than two eggs. ;)

Larry

Sherry,

Thanks for the photo. Now I know what I am looking for. I don't remember finding photos on the web.