Epargyreus clarus clarus
Photo Life History: Epargyreus clarus clarus;
Habitat: Valley Wet Meadows; Wetlands; Forest; Urban-Suburban.
Host Plants: Glycyrrhiza lepidota, Robinia pseudoacacia.
Suitable Lab Host Plants: Robinia pseudoacacia
How to Find Female Butterflies: Click here.
How to Care for Live Female Butterflies: Click here.
Methods of Female Oviposition:
How to Find Eggs:
How to Hatch Eggs: Consolidate eggs into one container.
How to Find Caterpillars in the Field: Look for Skipper Nests. Fifth instar skipper nests can be especially conspicuous.
How to Find Pupae in the Field:
Caterpillar setups: Open terrariums; Open Bucket;
Larva to Pupa: Larva Changes Color
Number of Broods per Year: 1-3 depending upon location. This skipper can be much more common in the Midwest and Eastern U.S.
Overwintering Stage: Pupa.
Overwintering Strategies: Your Own Backyard; Refrigerator
Post-Hibernation Strategies: Expose pupae to warmer temperatures, long-day photoperiod, and high humidity. (Jack Harry recommends soaking post-diapause pupae until emergence.)
Avoiding Diapause Techniques:
Disease Prevention: I recommend using Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) whenever possible. (See notes below.) Replace host plant and frass every four days in an open terrarium setup.
Emergence: Emergence Container
Field Notes: Use lab host Robinia pseudoacacia over natural host Glycyrrhiza lepidota in an Open Terrarium setup. The problem with using cuttings of G. lepidota is that cuttings will wilt in an open terrarium. The only way to keep cuttings succulent is to increase humidity in the setup by placing glass over the screen lid; similar to a closed terrarium setup recommended for Limenitis spp. However, this increased humidity in the closed terrarium does not allow frass to dry and larvae usually die as pupae. Robinia pseudoacacia is a much drier host and does not require extra humidity. Larvae use this host naturally in the Eastern U.S. An open terrarium setup works great with this host and larvae stay healthy.
