What has eaten my seven spot pupae?

[Bruce Williams]

I have been closely monitoring (checking several times a day) about twenty 7-spot larvae living on a container-grown Cistus on my patio. Yesterday the last two larvae stopped eating and took up the typical head-down, hunched up position of the pre-pupal stage (see photo).

I photographed them both about 12:30ish today (Fri 15/7) and checked regularly about every hour to see if they had made the transformation to pupa. Checking about 5:30ish I was shocked to find that one of the pre-pupas and a couple of other nearby pupae were missing. Obviously something had taken/eaten them . The other pre-pupa and (as far as I could tell) the rest of the pupae were still there.

So question is - what could have taken them? Let me say that I think it's unlikely (although not impossible) for the culprit to be a bird as very few birds venture down onto the patio (exceptions being wren and maybe blackbirds).

Here's the pic of the unlucky pre-pupa shot about 12:30 today:


Bruce

[paulinemiller10]

I was watching butterfly eggs one year, had a look everyday and watched them turning a darker shade with baby caterpillars inside, once they broke out I was going to move the pot to a safe place to stop the birds eating them.
I checked them one morning to find they were all gone, just a slimy mess and a big slug nearby.
Last year I moved butterfly eggs to a container and gave the caterpillers fresh food everyday, I now have a lot more butterflies visiting.

As for your loss, it could be a bird, they may not be around when your about, but once it is all quiet birds will often come near houses to find extra food. Pauline.

[Bruce Williams]

Interesting Pauline - what species of butterfly were you raising?

So far this year I have followed/photographed eight 14-spot and six 7-spot ladybirds from late instar larvae through to adults. My latest 7-spot adult emerged this afternoon after the rain. Fortunately I was on the patio photographing an interesting fly when it started so I managed to shoot most of the emergence.

Bruce

[Dogghound]

Most likely a sparrow or tit they both actively forage through the foliage for prey to feed nestlings.

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks for the suggestion Dan. Although we see plenty of both species in the main garden I have never seen them down on the patio - but then as Pauline said, it could well have happened when we weren't around...

I must admit I was upset losing this pre-pupa as I was hoping to take a photo-series recording the the change from pre-pupa to pupa (takes about 3 minutes). I've managed to shoot this process three times so far, however this one was particularly well placed for photographing.

Bruce

[paulinemiller10]

I grow a lot of nasturtiums for my bumblebees Bruce, and all sorts of butterflies lay eggs on them, they are easy to find, I just look under the leaves or find holes in them, I just gather them together, supply with fresh leaves everyday, I don't lock them up, just keep them safe from birds, when they are ready they wonder off, I know I have quite a lot of great whites, I watch them laying eggs, they are quite tame, some may be moth eggs.

A lot of caterpillars can spoil garden plants and people often spray them to keep their plants looking good, so its a much better idea to look after them in a safe place, without caterpillars we have no butterflies and they are lovely to watch fluttering around the garden. Pauline.

[Bruce Williams]

Sounds like fun Pauline .

We've been watching the containers from the kitchen window off and on throughout the day - and you were right Pauline and Dan, this afternoon I spotted a male House Sparrow having a really good root around the two patio roses next to the Cistus (home to the 7-spot pupae).

You know I would have bet money (but not much) that the culprit would turn out to be something other than a bird.

Bruce