Plebejus glandon rustica

Photo Life History: Plebejus glandon rustica

Habitat:  Arctic Alpine;

Host Plants:  Androsace septentrionalis; Androsace sempervivoides

Suitable Lab Host Plants: Dodecatheon alpinum

Caring for Live Female Butterflies:  Nectaring techniques

Methods of Female Oviposition:  Portable Cages;

How to Find Eggs:

How to Hatch Eggs:  Keep egg on original leaf

How to Find Caterpillars in the Field:

Caterpillar setups:  Twin Cup Method; Potted Plants

Overwintering Stage:  Second Instar 

Overwintering Strategies:  Alpine Overwintering Technique; Refrigerator

Larva to Pupa:  Larva Changes Color;

Emergence:  Emergence Container

Number of Broods per Year:  1

Avoiding Diapause Techniques:  Healthy Host Plant; Expose larvae to 24 hours of light; (Nicky Davis exposed larvae to long day photophase and got adults the same year.  John Emmel's larvae diapaused; possibly due to normal day photophase.)

Disease Prevention:  Change out host plant and remove frass every three days.  Not a simple task with this butterfly since the early instar larvae burrow into the leaves of its host plant.  See notes below.

Field Notes:  This is can be a difficult butterfly to raise because of the size and accessibility of lab host plants.  John Emmel has potted lab host; which made his rearing easier.  Nicky Davis provided these notes from her website. 

"...on 3 August 2008 a female was located on Murdock Mountain, Uinta Mountains,  Duchesne County, Utah. GPS North 40.43.44.54, West 110.54.06.25 West Elevation 10, 298 feet.  Jack Harry, Les Davis and I  followed the rustica around the mountain to determine the plant she was using to lay her eggs. We finally watched her oviposit on a tiny primrose, Androsace septentrionalis.

On 9 August 2008, this one egg hatched and was set on  a leaf of Shooting Star Dodecatheon alpinum.  During the night this larva went to the base of the plant and due to the curve of the stem, was able to get into water and died. On 1 August 2009 two females were collected  at Murdock Mountain, Uinta Mountains, Summit County, Utah. Females  laid eggs 2nd-5th of August on the chiffon material placed under the top of a screened cage.  The cage used held a potted Shooting Star, Dodecatheon alpinum plant and a container with a cotton ball soaked in honey water made with a ratio of 1 part honey to 10 parts water as a nectar source for the butterflies.  The screen cage was placed outside in the sun for periods of 30 to 45 minutes then brought into the house.  Each time they were brought inside they began spinning in circles, then laid eggs on the chiffon cover.   The eggs hatched on the 9th and 10th of August.   They were kept in light 24x7 on cuttings of Dodecatheon alpinum, sometimes in a bouquets and sometimes in a 1 1/2 ounce plastic solo cup with lid on and a damp piece of brown paper toweling on the floorof the cup.   After feeding for 31 days, the first larva walked off the plant and refused to eat as it was ready to pupate.  They preferred pupating between two layers of brown recycled paper toweling that was in the bottom of their container.

Some eggs were sent to  John Emmel who reared them using Androsace sempervivoides.  All those larvae hibernated as second instars."