My black eastern swallowtails are emerging this am. This one guy has top wings slightly curled inward. Will they straighten out? He's about 30 minutes old. I'd attach a photo from the camera phone but i'm outside keeping an eye on him...
wing deformity?
Got inside. Here's a photo. He's not real interested in opening his wings. I caught this photo in time...
Here's a photo how he's spending most of his time. We are now 2 hours old...he hasn't taken flight and sitting on my host plants...
Awww, I had a gulf fritillaria with a similar, slightly worse deformity of one wing last summer. I got him moved to a nectar plant and tried my best to baby him, but after 3 days he still wasn't able to fly and was getting weaker by the hour. It was heartbreaking to watch!
I don't think it will ever fly. But healthy butterflies don't usually take in nourshiment for the first 3 or 4 hours either. It must have encountered trouble getting out of the chrysalis and became too dry. It happens sometime. If it can't nectar today, or keeps falling off of the foilage; you can place it in the freezer for a easy death. Nice pictures though. You might put the second one in the bugfiles with the statement that it's wings never unfurled properly.
I gave my sick little one a quick death by using my small garden snippers to cut it's head off. Was a very fast death, though it sounds bloody awful to see it typed!
He flew away later that afternoon hours after that photo. I am going with he 'was able to fly'....thanx for your responses.....
Good for him! It's great to know that not all wing deformities hinder flight!
Glad to know it lived!