Just released today...

I stumbled across a Gulf Fritillary chrysalis on one of our passion vines a few weeks ago. Hadn't even seen any cats feeding. The chrysalis was actually attached to a plant stake supporting the passion vine, so I just brought the stake inside to protect the chrysalis from predators and propped it in a corner of the dining room, lol.

This morning my fritillary had emerged and was in the kitchen waiting for me. After a few obligatory pics were taken, I took the butterfly outside to a zinnia in the garden and took some more pics.

Another pose:

A very cool and mostly cooperative fritillary while still in the dining room. It was so nice to be greeted by it this morning.

My husband showed me another cat this past Saturday on the passion vine. It's now about to pupate and I will bring that one in the house also.

Can you just unstick the pupa from wherever it has attached without harm? Karen

Yes, absolutely. My husband said I could have taken a razor blade and severed the chrysalis stalk at the base of attachment to the plant stake. However, since I am the lazy sort, that would have meant that I would have had to go back in the house and scrounge up a razor blade, go back out to the chrysalis, sever it, carry it back in the house, find something to put it in where the butterfly could emerge safely, etc. WAY too much work for my lazy self!!!

So, I pulled up the plant stake, rinsed the dirt off of it, carried it inside, then propped it in the corner and left it alone. Much easier for me to deal with. :-))

Hill,

Thanks for sharing your pics. Butterflies are wonderful and beautiful!

Marilyn

they do seem to favor the zennia this time of year

that is fabulous. Glad they all made it

Great pics! I've resorted to bringing cats inside, again. I like to leave the GF's outside because the vine was always small but last year my vine was huge and spiders etc ate all my cats so this year I'm bringing the vine inside to them. I think I've got about 10 inside now, which reminds me to go make sure the larger one hasn't wandered off to pupate. I'd have to put out a CAT ALERT! That's the "alarm" I sounded today when I thought the Giant Swallowtail cat had left his perch. Everyone knows to stop walking and start looking down on the ground.