I'm SO excited!!!

We're in the midst of a winter storm warning with lots of wind and snow, but look who came to my house! Last November as we harvested the last of the carrots we found a swallowtail caterpillar. Thinking he would freeze outside, I put him on a parsley plant I was bringing in for the winter. Within a week or so he had formed a chrysalis. Nothing more happened for months, so I assumed it had probably dried up, but just left it alone. I was looking past the plant this morning, watching the snow, when a dark shape that I thought was a dried leaf caught my eye. He (I think, am I right?) had apparently just recently emerged.

Now I'm concerned for his welfare. Not many nectar sources available in my house right now - an amaryllis in full bloom and some paperwhites just opening. But those wouldn't normally be his food plants. Lots of house plants, but no bloom. Would it help if I left shallow saucers of sugar water out? Should I go to the florist and try to buy some pots of asters, mums or daisies? Lacking potted plants, would cut daisies or other compositae help? A shame if he should have made it this far only to die.

A few hours later he fluttered down off the plant to the table, then eventually to the floor. He's rested there (I hope) for the past hour. I think it's probably too cool for him, but it provides a good view of the open wings.

How exciting! And beautiful pic, too. I hope you find some sources of nectar for him!


I'm sorry that I don't know more about butterfly survival to give you any help...keep us posted on how he does!

Marty,

What a gorgeous butterfly. I do hope it will survive.

During the times I expected butterflies to eclose and knew I'd be working a double shift or strange hours I'd put a sponge soaked with the same nectar solution I make for the hummingbirds on a shallow dish in the butterfly cage.

When I got home one night and turned on the light I saw a butterfly perched on a sponge but never actually saw it using it's probiscus to feed. For all I know it may have just landed on the sponge and fell asleep there? We were having some cold snaps back then and I kept it in the cage for about 48 hours. I released it on the third morning when the sun finally came out.

Hopefully you can set the butterfly cage out in the sunlight where it can warm up during the morning hours and gain enough strength to fly away in search of real flower nectar around the neighborhood by one or two in the afternoon? Or is is freezing and snowing in Iowa? Maybe you can drive it to a local butterfly park or a plant garden center that has something blooming???

Good luck :o)

~ Cat

Hey MartyJo!!! Today is Sunday and it's really early here. Anyway! I was drinking "mate" (some sort of green tea that is very popular in this "latitude" for breakfast and decided to chech my mail on Dave's Garden website. I don't know why I've entered in this area, but the thing is that I've read what you wrote about your butterfly and I can tell you that I'm sharing your "happyness" end excitement with you! =)
I'm sure that caterpillar wouldn't be able to survive outside, so you did an excellent thing! From now on... every minute of life for this little friend is a gift of your grace. I hope he or she survives and you become great pals! Ha, ha! Just kidding!
Anyway! Take care and keep on doing what makes you happy.
Gus.

Thanks for all the encouragement. What a nice thing to say, Gus. I was feeling rather bad for this poor little thing born out of time, with no others like it around. But you're right, that's a few days, at least, of life it wouldn't have had. Our bedroom is about the warmest room in our house, and there are lots of houseplants in there, so that's where he's spending his time. I did put out a dish of hummindbird nectar with a piece of sponge in it. I've placed him on it several times, but he seems to want nothing to do with it and heads right off. Our Extension agent looked in a resource in our Master Gardener's library and it recommended watermelon. That's a little hard to come by mid-winter in Iowa, too. I'll need to get to a bigger city to have any hope of finding it. Anyone else have suggestions? He survives, so far - but is quite lethargic.

Cat, your suggestions are appreciated, even if they made me smile - you obviously haven't been to Iowa in February. Again, if I lived in or near a large city I might be able to find a butterfly house or large greenhouse, but alas, not out in the sticks where I live.

What about watermelon gatorade on the sponge-- I've heard a lot of butterfly gardeners put watermelon gatorade out to attract the BFs...

fruit punch gatorade. i went to a butterfly exhibit last summer an they swarmed to the feederes i asked what was in them and the lady told me fruit punch gatorade( room temp) . if you look at a nature store they sell butterfly feeders or like tabasco said on a sponge.

I've used watermelon Gatorade for quite a few butterflies that I've had to feed indoors. I had a whole batch of them eclose inside one winter and had the same problem with lack of flowers. I was able to find some Dianthus and lantana and got some to use those, but the majority used the Gatorade.

The problem is that sometimes they aren't real smart and you have to show them how to eat it. You might have a hard time if you are letting it fly around the house tho. I have cats, so mine have always had to stay inside a net cage.

This is what I do: I put the Gatorade on a cotton ball or pad and put it on a little plate. Catch the butterfly, which can be hard with BST's because they are usually pretty flighty. Have you ever tagged a Monarch? That's how you hold them to feed them too. Hold them by holding their top wings together, with your thumb and pointer finger on each wing, close to the middle of their body. Oh, this is hard to describe. I hope you can understand this...maybe I can find a pic. Ok...see the pic of the Monarch..see the tag? right above is where you should hold it, where you are holding both wings down at the same time, on each side. (Don't worry if you have a tiny amount of color from their scales on your finger, just don't rub and rub a hole in their wing) http://www.guthriecenter.com/gccb/monarchs.html

Once you have hold of them, take a toothpick and slowly unroll their probiscus and let the end touch the cottonball. They will usually taste it quickly and then sit still and start stabbing around the pad themselves.

If none of this is possible, just let it out as soon as it warms up and let it be. You helped it make it thru the process, which might never have happened, so all is good. (sorry if this doesn't make sense!)

Paige

Konkrete,

Excellent! Thanks for sharing that wonderful information. I stay away from sugared drinks...but will most assuredly go buy some to keep for the butterflies. I'd been buying guava/banana juice as a treat for the fruit feeders.

~ Cat

Glad to be of help Cat! I don't mind admitting that I learned that little trick from those great Butterfly Gardeners on GW. I need to stop by and visit y'all but just can't seem to keep up with so many forums.

Paige, that was indeed very informative. I don't think I'm coordinated enough to unroll the proboscis. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to try. Thank you all for the support and suggestions. I learned a lot from the experience, but the timing was terrible for the poor butterfly. Even if I could have got it to eat, I don't think it could have lasted the three months (at least) before it could have been released. It did surprise me that it's instinct for survival wouldn't have made it seek whatever nourishment was available, but apparently you've had that experience, too? I was sure surprised to see that the link you provided was to an Iowa site!

Again , thanks to everyone who tried to help.
Marty

Hi Everyone!
A while back I started a thread here on pictures I had taken at the Key West Butterfly Conservatory. Pajarito, a Dave's Garden Member posted a picture of a butterfly feeder she had photographed at a butterfly attraction in Mass. I enclosed the picture below. This picture was taken by Pajarito, not me.
In the picture they use a cheap plastic champagne glass you can pick up at any party supply store.

I had asked her about the feeders and here is her reply.
"Now, about those feeders: All it is is a bamboo pole with a plactic champagne class (with the bottom removed) and a kitchen scrubbie( you know, the plastic mesh things) in the glass. Then the glass is filled with sugar water (4 parts water to 1 part sugar). Here's a better shot of one." I am not commenting on the recipe they used, just pointing out the neat feeder they used.

By the way, the link to the pictures at the Key West Butterfly Conservatory is http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/509700/ There are lots and lots of neat butterflies pictured and identified with her help. Many of the butterflies are not common and have unusual colorations.

Art

I've read about the scrubbers before, but the glass is a good idea for holding it. The butterflies in the exhibits usually do go to the feeders, although the ones I've seen are usually filled with fruit.

I was surprised too that they wouldn't just take right to the plants or juice. They taste with their feet so that's why you have to set them on the cotton balls first. Some tasted it and learned and would come back, but some would just not take it at all, or even the plants.

So what happened to your butterfly???