I'd say that ultimately, the decision is up to you. There are good arguments for both sides, and you get to see which is most compelling (yes, I realize that probably wasn't the answer you were looking for). If you want to release them, tomorrow sounds like it would be a suitable day. If you do decide to release them tomorrow, you might try putting an incandescent light near the cage beforehand so that the butterflies can warm up near it before going outside. If you keep them inside, you might still put some heat source near them, as you mentioned them not moving much or at all in the cage.
I hope this helps you,
-Jmcat

What would you do if you were in my situation? Would you release them, or keep them indoors? What are the chances of them surviving the weather conditions that are expected on Friday and Saturday? Also, do you think being stuck indoors for over a week has been a miserable experience for them? Or do they even realize they are stuck indoors since this is all they have known since they eclosed? I just wonder if they are even capable of adapting and surviving outdoors, now that they have been indoors for so long. And I also wonder what the chances are of them finding a mate this time of year if I do release them, I just want to do what is best for them. If I knew they were content being indoors and knew they were not missing what they have never had, I would just keep them in, but I feel sorry for them when I think that they could be sitting in that reptarium waiting and longing to be set free so they can do what they were programmed to do. thanks

You have to make the decision. We aren't there. We can't make it for you. This is not the mating season, so it's doubtful they'll find a mate. If I were making the decision, I'd probably just let them remain inside. Their lives are short, and it's doubtful they'll live much longer outside. Can you handle them dying inside?

I know, I just wanted to try to find out what other people would do in this situation, because i am new to this. My main issue with keeping them indoors, is that I feel like I am cheating them in some way by keeping them in and never releasing them. I guess that is really what I am trying to find out, or get opinions on, so I can make a decision. If their sole purpose as a butterfly is to reproduce, and if it is doubtful that they will find a mate and reproduce, will they even try to survive or wear themselves out trying to find a mate they probably are not going to find? I guess knowing that it is not mating season makes me feel better about the fact that they have been indoors, maybe I haven't kept them from anything other than an early death due to weather or predators

I am glad you asked about whether i can handle them dying inside. Have you ever kept any indoors their entire life? I have been wondering what I should expect, when I should expect it, etc. How do they die if they are indoors? From old age, so to speak? I think I can handle it, It would be helpful to know what is normal and about how long they may live indoors, so I will know nothing is wrong and it is just nature taking it's course. I have read lots of info on their cycle of life in the wild, and it seems like 2 weeks or less is normal for outdoors. I haven't found any information on what life expectancy is indoors for these specific butterflies, but I have read about other species who have a life cycle of 2wks or less, that live 3 wks to a month indoors, so I don't know. I am hoping they have a little more time than two weeks, it seems so short, I just hope I have made their lives comfortable and kept them content. I guess both indoors and outdoors have their pros and cons, they haven't been able to bask in the sun, but they haven't had to worry about being eaten by anything indoors, or being rained on, etc. I wish i could let them out for the day and get them to come home in the evenings so I could bring them in, lol. I would love to have an outdoor enclosure of some sort, where I could bring them out and let them play outside and then bring them in when weather was bad. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it

If only we could bring in butterflies when the weather was bad!
It's about 70 degrees and sunny right now, so if it were me, I'd release them. I just saw a pair of cloudless sulphurs twirling around in an upward spiral - it's possible your GSTs could survive the winter like sulphurs do, but unlikely. Still, they'll die in captivity for sure.
We thank you for being so concerned - when spring and summer get here, you can have the fun of releasing butterflies in nice weather, with other butterflies of their own kind to mate with and host plants growing!
Sherry

I guess the inconsistent weather we have here, and the lack of distinct seasons, confuses the butterflies, if that is possible. I think you mentioned a while back Missherry, that the cats/eggs I found, seemed to be showing up a little late in the season. I wonder if "late babies" occur more often in certain zones. I think i will feed them, take them out, open the reptarium and let them decide, heck, the two times I have offered them freedom, they stayed put, but it was right before we ended up getting that wintery mix, and a little bit of snow. Maybe they sensed the harsh weather that was coming and decided they would rather stay inside until it passed, I will let ya'll know what happens. I kind of hope they don't leave, lol, knowing that I gave them the opportunity to take off and they passed it up would make me feel much better about keeping them indoors. Thanks

Oh, Missherry, on a different note, I ended up bringing the sulphur cats in before the snow came. I only found two, and they looked absolutely frozen solid when I found them to bring them in. I thought they were dead, but after they warmed up, they started eating like crazy, they move a LOT faster than the GSTs, lol, I guess that isn't saying much. I found out they really like to wander before they pupate, lol, and they don't seem to purge before so you have a heads up either, unless i just missed it. ANyway, I went to clean their cages and change their food, and opened one of the cages and could not find the cat, ANYWHERE, i kept looking and looking, and he was gone, I was shocked, i really do not know how he even managed to escape, he must have shimmied through those tiny little spaces in the top of the critter cage. I looked high and low and could not find him anywhere, at this point I was looking on the bottom of my shoe because I thought I must have accidentally squished him, I finally found him all the way at the other end of the large room i had them in, on the leg of a chair, I think he was going to pupate there, lol, I could not believe he just left, haha, I have never had a gst do that, this cat went clear across the room. I finally got him to crawl on a stick and got him back into a critter cage and he pupated last night. I was lucky enough to catch him in the process, which was kind of neat. I couldnt believe the way he was suspended in the air, i thought he was attached in a sling like the gsts but after he pupated it looked like only the bottom of his body was attached, and i do not see a sling. Do you know how long these guys stay in pupa? I am hoping they are just a tad bit more predictable than the gsts, so I will know what to expect.

Cool about the sulphurs, I'd wondered if you had found any of them when you returned home. I think the few I've had have stayed in the pupa for like 10 days. I should be tracking but have not. Well good luck with all of them, wish we could all help with the GSTs..

Well, I offered them the chance to leave once again, and they didn't take it. I fed them, put a lamp by their reptarium so they could warm up, then then I put their reptarium outside in the sun (it was cool enough so they wouldn't get too hot)and then I unzipped it so they were free to go, none of them moved, they flapped their wings like crazy and even crawled around the outside of the reptarium, but I think they were just enjoying the sun so much that they stayed put. I was wondering if this is what they would have been doing yesterday if they were living in the wild anyway. I just wonder if they are unhappy. I feel like I have cheated them in some way. I know they all can fly because they have all taken off and flown around my living room before, I wish I could think of some type of enclosure of something that I could put together or buy, that had some more room for them, something taller than the reptarium they are in, bigger too. It was only supposed to be temporary and has turned into their home pretty much. Any ideas? I have even tried to think of some place I could take them that would be more of a natural setting but still provide them with some shelter from this weather. My mom's neighbor has a huge deck in her back yard, and the yard is filled with plants and foliage, and has a little pond, I thought about taking them over there. She has plenty of nectar plants and places where they could find shelter from wind and probably rain too. If anyone has any suggestions for places where I could release them that would give them a better chance to survive this weather, please let me know. heck I have even thought about taking them for a drive to some place warmer and releasing them there. It just breaks my heart to see them in that reptarium day after day. :-(

Take them to your mom's neighbor's house and release them. It sounds like the perfect setting.

second the motion

Thanks for giving me your opinion on releasing them at my mother's neighbor's house. I was so hoping I would get some reassurance on that idea, i feel so relieved to hear that ya'll think it sounds like a good place! Yayy! I am going to take them first thing in the morning because it will be dark by the time I leave work so I won't be able to release them. Pray it isn't raining too bad or terribly cold tomorrow morning! Thanks for all the advice!