Pyrgus centaureae loki

Photo Life History: Pyrgus centaureae loki

Habitat:  Arctic Alpine

Host Plants:  Potentilla fruticosa, Potentilla hippiana

Suitable Lab Host Plants: Fragaria vesca; Potentilla glandulosa

Caring for Live Female Butterflies:  Nectaring techniques

Methods of Female Oviposition:  Portable Cages; Open Screen Cages

How to Find Eggs:

How to Hatch Eggs:  Consolidate eggs into one container

How to Find Caterpillars in the Field: Skipper Nests (Scroll down to find skipper nests for the grizzled skipper.)

Caterpillar setups:  Potted Plants; Open terrariums

Overwintering Stage: Early instar larva and pupa (biennial)

Overwintering Strategies:  Your Own Backyard;

Larva to Pupa:  

Emergence:  Emergence Container

Number of Broods per Year:  1; biennial

Avoiding Diapause Techniques:  Healthy Host Plant.  Although biennial, larvae that feed on healthy host plant will go through to pupa the same year.  I know of no way of avoiding pupal diapause.

Disease Prevention: 

Field Notes:  This can be a difficult butterfly to raise because of the size and accessibility of lab host plants.  I overwintered four healthy pupae that did not break diapause the next spring.  David James and Dave Nunnalee successfully reared this butterfly to adult by exposing pupae to more humidity than I did.  Live females also oviposited on Potentilla ovina.  Note:  Pyrgus centaureae wyandot larvae perish on Potentilla glandulosa.