CURRENT PUPAE - Chrysalides and cocoons

All Colour Paperback BUTTERFLIES Robert Goodden.

No other book gives such plain and practical advice for the study of butterflies and moths.
A comprehensive guide - outlining techniques for the breeding and study of butterflies and moths. This book also shows a grand selection of butterflies of every continent. Packed with essential information, colourful pictures and diagrams by the butterfly artist JOYCE BEE. Paperback. 160  pages. 7 x 4". An essential guide for the beginner.

This book went out of print many years ago. WWB bought the entire stock of the English language edition. Stocks have now sold out. There are some used copies, damage or marking mainly on the covers, which does not materially affect the content. Even these are now down to rather few copies.
Published by Hamlyn. Available only from Worldwide Butterflies.

Pyjama Mini Cage 22 x 29 x 25cm high

This popular cage has just got even better. Nearly a third larger, and much improved dimensions.

Ideal as a beginner's cage, but also for the busy breeder who wants separate small cages. Excellent as an emerging cage for chrysalides and cocoons, ideal for keeping small numbers of larvae or other insects, when large enough for cage rearing.

This cage is suitable for laying out small numbers of pupae to emerge. Also for rearing smaller numbers of larvae or smaller larvae. Baby larvae should be first reared in plastic rearing containers or kept covered on growing food. Please see the note on the page for plastic rearing containers. This cage will hold small covered pots of plant, and larger sizes of cage are available for larger subjects.

When necessary the netting cover can be slipped off for cleaning or replacement. The Pyjama Mini cage is assembled in minutes and easily packed flat for winter storage. As the interest grows there are larger sizes available. For the experienced breeder the Mini Cage has many uses where a series of smaller cages is needed for separating species and giving different treatment.

The cover can be washed by hand or machine, making your used cage like new for almost no effort, and no cost.

The Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes North America

SPECIAL OFFER 5 Pupae normally £55.00, NOW only £39.95!

 This is North America's largest butterfly. An impressive broad-winged Swallowtail as fine as any tropical species.  The Giant Swallowtail will breed in captivity. The larvae, which are knarled and resemble a bird dropping, feed on Rutaceae: Citrus, Rue and probably Choisya, as well as Zanthotoxylum.

Small White  Pieris rapae

Still a common butterfly but nonetheless interesting to rear.

Very easy to breed. Several generations are possible in a season. The pupa hibernates. Keep the pupae cool or in the fridge until April. Lay them out to emerge in May and provide the adults with nectar flowers and stems of the foodplant on which to lay.

 The larvae feed on many species of cress, cabbage, mustard and other Cruciferae. This is a species you can breed to enhance the local countryside.

New Clouded Yellow Colias australis 

Because of travel prohibition our normal breeders will not have stock this year. We are therefore hoping to source pupae from Europe. If it proves impossible, orders will be booked for supply in the summer of 2021.

Almost indistinguishable from the Pale Clouded Yellow hyale. This species was not recognised until 1947 when a Belgian entomologist, M. Berger, found that the larvae not only fed on Horseshoe Vetch Hippocrepis, but are totally different in appearance, having a brilliantly coloured pattern in black, yellow and green. Larvae will produce butterflies again this season. They will also feed on Crown Vetch Coronilla.
 

 

Black-veined White Aporia crataegi 

Black-veined Whites lived in Britain until about 1911. Maybe one day they will live here again?

The pupae are very brightly coloured, angular, greenish white, with contrasting markings in black and yellow. Easy to hatch out. They lay clusters of bright yellow eggs. Resulting larvae spin a web and live in this while they develop, and eventually settle down there for the winter.

Larvae do well sleeved on Hawthorn (their preferred foodplant), Plum, Blackthorn, Plum or Apple. The larvae live in a cluster.

Summer larvae spin a very small and concealed web on the branch, in which they hibernate. Leave the sleeve untouched for the winter. In spring they awake as soon as the buds burst, and begin to grow very quickly. 

Clouded Yellow Butterfly Colias crocea 

These pupae produce butterflies in a week or two at 18-20 degrees.

A great favourite with entomologists and extremely easy to rear on potted Clover. The larvae grow fast and will produce butterflies very quickly, particularly in warm conditions.

Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines Europe

Normally 5 for £28.95 NOW  £23.95, 10 for £56.95 NOW £39.95

Store the pupae in a cool place, for the winter, even a refrigerator, loose in a plastic box. An early spring butterfly. Depending on locality and season, the butterflies usually begin to fly in May. The male has the orange tips. Both sexes have mottled undersides in green which is actually made of microscopic scales of black and yellow, giving the illusion of green. The curious pupae look like thorns.

Eggs are laid on Garlic Mustard, Sweet Rocket and Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock. The larvae live singly and are canabalistic. Not difficult to breed, particularly on potted foodplant. Camouflage in all stages is remarkable.

This species breeds prodigiously in the new FREEDOM CAGES! Please see them in the CAGES section.

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)
One of Europe's most colourful and splendid butterflies. The pupae produce butterflies quite quickly.   Keep in a netting emerging cage on a medium  such as greengrocer's imitation grass, or foam sponge, which gives the adults a foothold on emergence, and drainage from misting that should be applied most days. Better still, suspend the pupae as described in the section on care of Exotic Pupae on this WWB website.

The butterflies can be kept for a few days in a cage with flowers for nectar, then released into the wild.

The larvae live only on Stinging Nettle: encourage some nettle patches in wild areas to provide breeding sites.

The mild winters waken hibernating butterflies at a time when there is no nectar and many Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells perish, making them now quite scarce.  You can help boost your local population by hatching and releasing these Peacock butterflies.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Most years Painted Lady pupae are not available. This year we are expecting supplies again. PLEASE ORDER EARLY!

In Europe this is a migrant butterfly from N. Africa and it is probably the only butterfly found on every continent of the world. Larval foodplants include Nettle and Thistle but they also take a variety of other herbaceous plants including Mallow and Burdock.

This is a continuously brooded species that is available at intervals during the summer.

World Collection of Exotic Butterflies DELUXE SELECTION of FIFTY pupae

WIDE VARIETY OF SUPERP SPECIES for a special price!

From several world regions and families. Un-identified, selected for beauty and interest. The pupae alone are things of great beauty and interest. One of the real joys of nature! 

The DE LUXE includes such beauties as the Larger exotic Swallowtails, Iridescent blue banded Prepona, Ornate Lacewing Butterflies, and the like. The pupae are usually larger and some very intricate.  Well worth the difference in price. Some species develop in the pupa quite fast, which is why for international orders it is essential to send by courier, though this does not guarantee safe arrival, particularly in summer and to hot countries. in cooler months pupae usually arrive safely.

Illustrations are representative: yours may not be these species as there are so many to choose from - good value is always assured. When possible 10 different species will be sent though this is not always possible.

IMPORTANT - Please read this guide to hatching of exotic butterfly pupae: 

Provide warmth and humidity that the pupae normally experience in the tropics. About 30°C is ideal, and humidity above 70%. The butterflies like a warm greenhouse containing varied plants, especially those producing nectar flowers to feed from, and this is the best place also for the emerging cage for the pupae. Examples of nectar flowers include Ixora, Buddleia, Pentas, Eupatorum, Clerodendrum and most Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). Shade the cage from direct sun, which is too harsh. If you don’t have such an environment, you may be able to simulate a warm and humid atmosphere in another way, but don’t apply direct heat. The whole cage needs to be in an even temperature and humidity, which is best provided in a tropical greenhouse environment.  It is usually beneficial to mist the pupae at least once a day. It is normal in nature for night to be cooler than day.

It’s a good idea to suspend the pupae. To do this, use a cane held horizontally. Apply a very thin line of contact adhesive eg Evostick along the cane. Lay the cane on a table and, when it is tacky but not yet set hard, touch the tails of the pupae on the line of glue. Warning: excess glue actually kills the pupa, so use just a very thin line. When the glue has set you can pick up the cane, with all the pupae hanging by their tails from it.

Pupae of the Swallowtail and Pierid families don’t hang from the tail (cremaster), head downwards. They are attached to a twig at the tail, and they use a silk sling around the wing cases to anchor themselves, head upwards and at an angle away from the twig. To simulate this, you can take some lengths of cane. Make a thin line of glue as described above. Lay the cane on a table, then attach the tails of the pupae to the glue line, and touch the abdomen also against the glue line. Once dry, the cane can be arranged standing at an angle against the sides of the emerging cage, or you can arrange them stuck into a block of florist’s foam. There needs to be enough space to allow the emerging butterflies to climb up, expand and dry their wings.

Usually fixing the pupae to a cane helps to give hatching butterflies the best foothold. When fixed to canes pupae are very exposed and can easily dry out. Mist them several times a day.  If you don’t wish to glue the pupae to a cane, they can be laid out on corrugated card or other rough surfaces, such as greengrocer’s imitation grass mats or coconut matting, flat on the bottom of the emerging cage. This material may help to keep the pupae moist if you spray them at least once a day.  For hygiene the material needs to be cleaned or replaced every few days.

Resulting butterflies do well in a tropical greenhouse, planted with lush greenery and copious nectar-bearing flowers. Some species like to feed from over-ripe fruit. They may live 2-4 weeks in such conditions, exceptionally they can live longer. Kept in a cage in a house, their life may be just a few days, but sometimes longer if they are given fresh nectar flowers each day, and misted to prevent the atmosphere becoming too dry. Non-native butterflies must not be released.

Map Butterfly Araschnia levana

A charming and quite small Vanessid butterfly that occurs throughout much of Europe but not in the British Isles. It has been established in Britain but the colony was deliberately destroyed. This is a nettle feeder.

The eggs are laid in unique pendant strings from the underside of a nettle leaf.  Younger larvae are gregarious.

There are normally two broods: the spring brood is patterned rather like a fritillary, as illustrated. In July the second brood (form porosa) emerges looking like miniature White Admirals!

An established British colony was deliberately exterminated. Why not try again?

Pairing is not easy but success is more likely if you can create a netting sleeve that brings the two sexes together, like the peak of a hood.  Second brood larvae hang up to pupate in secluded places for the winter. The pupae we are offering now are to be stored in a cool outhouse or fridge until April. Then lay them out for emergence in April/May.