Polygonia interrogationis

Photo Life History: Polygonia interrogationis

Habitat:  Valley Lakes & Rivers; Forest Edges; Agricultural Areas; Urban-Suburban

Host Plants:  Urtica dioica; Celtis reticulata; Celtis laevigata

Suitable Lab Host Plants:  Ulmus pumila; Celtis occidentalis

How to Find Female Butterflies:  Click here. 

Caring for Live Female Butterflies:  Nectaring techniques

Methods of Female Oviposition:  Portable Cages; Expose caged females to filtered sunlight. 

How to Find Eggs: Look on Host Plants with New Growth; (Females sometimes stack eggs up to 2-3 high.)

How to Hatch Eggs:  Consolidate eggs into one container.

How to Find Caterpillars in the Field: Focus mainly on the new growth portion of trees

How to Find Pupae in the Field: 

Caterpillar setups:  Open terrariums; Open Bucket

Larva to Pupa:  Caterpillar silks to leaf or twig; creates and attaches cremaster; hanging as a J before pupating.

Number of Broods per Year:  2-3; depending upon location

Overwintering Stage:  Adult

Overwintering Strategies:

Post-Hibernation Strategies: 

Emergence:  Emergence Container

Avoiding Diapause Techniques:  

Disease Prevention:  Change out host plant and remove frass every four to five days in an open bucket or open terrarium setup. 

Emergence:  Emergence Container

Field Notes:  Larvae are solitary or feed in small groups of two or three caterpillars.  Larvae feed on the ventral side of the host leaves.  Larva that feed under 8 hours of daylight (short-day photophase) produce the fall form; whereas larvae that feed under 18 hours (long-day photophase) produce the summer form.  The summer form is illustrated above.