Questions about Butterfly Hosting and Rearing

Welcome butterfly raisers and people with questions. Gardener to Gardener
I hope everyone .. Becky, Cat, Paige, Donna, eubeval, etc (no one excluded on purpose, all join with what you've learned.)... Please chime in with answers that help the asker find confidence raising butterflies.

For the love of butterflies!

:-Deb

from this thread

Hi Greenie!
Yes they do eat a lot! If they are about 2" they are definatly big enough to pupate. You can put them in a clean mesh hamper and they will begin within a day or so. Meanwhile get more Parsley for the next round. Now that you have a better fix on how much they can eat you can check WMart and get you about 6 Parsley plants and sink them in nice loose soil, in full sun. Just dont let the soil completely dry out and they will grow pretty fast. Dill is also good, but Parsley has a lot of meat on it, and it grows fast. Focus on cultivating the plant to a nice size. After that you can start caging cats again, and you should have a big enough plants to take good sized cuttings from.

I like to make the cutting container portable from the cage...So when the cage needs cleaing the plant can be completely removed for a few minutes. The easier you make cleaning the cage, the healthier the cats and bf's will be. The container needs to be cat proof, so they can't crawl in and drown. SOme folks use floral foam, and even that I seal off in a baggie of water around the neck of the cutting. THat can be set into a container to keep it upright, just no holes they can get into and get trapped.

What kind of cage are you presently using? A pic of the cats would be cool too if you can.

:-D

It's a styrofoam cooler with the sides and top cut out and screened. So it's easy to lift the lid and feed and clean them. I've been using the peat pot plants so I can just lift them out when I clean the cage. The cuttings of parsley aren't lasting long enough to need to be potted so we just put those in one of the peat pots that they had already eaten down to the nub.

I assumed they would stop eating when they were ready to pupate. Do I need to remove the food to encourage them? Let me go snap a pic for you.

Here's a pic...it looks like one of them has attached to the screen and may be getting ready.

Here's another pic.

Greenie-
Do you have a nice stick in there for them to pupate on just on case they feel the urge? Your Cat's do look big... but I'm always the nervous Mom and I want there to be enough food. Maybe get more the next time you're out..and....Good for you!

Adrienne

I have 2 pieces of bamboo in there leaning in different directions in case they want to use that instead of the screen. The pic was just too focused on the cats for you to see it. I can cut more parsley out of my garden. I have enough for awhile. They just really seemed to prefer the dill (listen to me worrying about their food preference ). Do they take about as long as monarchs - 10 to 14 days? We're leaving for Wisconsin next Thursday for over a week. I could take them along or leave them with friends. If I take them along, I'd probably have to release them there which would be a bummer.

Greenie,
I've found that whatever food source the Cats start with...thats what they want to stick with. I've had them quit eating when I've tried to switch!
They won't be done by the time you go on Vacation, though. Leave them with a friend...thats what I do. My neighbor and I switch off watching each others Cocoons!!

Adrienne

This message was edited Jun 1, 2007 5:36 PM

Right Adrienne! Good advice...glad you chimed in girl! Depends on when they have their chrysalids made. From that day, count 10 days minimum, and around 12 days max if kept outside in the heat. If kept cooler (70* or less), they could take up to 15 days and not eclose until they are put back at outside TX temperatures. There they would eclose within a day or 2.

To have the neighbor hold the chrysalids in a cool part of her house until you return would be best. You should return in time to get them back home. Then you can probably observe and free them yourself.

If you are running out of Dill, just use what you have. They will either continue eating what you offer or they will go ahead and begin morphing.

The cats look great~ From the pic, it appears as though one is making their chrysalis now.
:-D

I put some more parsley in there. They don't seem interested and appear to be slowing down a bit so maybe they're getting ready. Once they are in their chrysalis, I will bring them in and have my MIL watch them while we're gone. With any luck it will slow them down enough that they won't eclose until after we get home. It's just so exciting!! Now I wish the GFs would get here and start laying eggs. I didn't by the PFV for its beauty!

Greenie if you still don't have any by the time you get back from your trip, get with me and I will see about sending some chrysalids to you in the mail to free them in your garden. After that, they should have their scent established there to attract all their kin folk.. (especially egg laying females), to your Passionvines. The male GF are attracted to the scent of an eclosing female from quite a long distance, and will overtake her even before her wings dry. I keep them caged until the wings are completely dry.

:-Deb

I've read about them doing that Deb...I think it's because they're typical males and don't want to have to work for it if they can find a another way . Thanks so much for the offer...I will definitely let you know. It sounds like you have LOTS. I didn't know they would survive the mail process - that's pretty cool! =o)

:-) Greenie,
Last year I sent a GF and a BST chrysalis to Beckygardner in FL, and they both eclosed there within a week to 10 days. You live closer to me.. They should do fine.

Teachers mail order chrysalids of several species to demonstrate for their classrooms.

:-Deb

Absolutely! If they are only a couple days into their chrysalis, they will do fine to be transported via mail or whatever. We just NEVER want to transport chrysalis to an area that the butterflies are NOT found naturally. I just wanted to add my .02 cents worth on that! :-) Many butterflies found in Texas are also found in Florida. But I also make sure that I have plenty of host plants so that they survive on in a new location. :-)

Yes Becky, Glad ya threw that in.. It would be murder to send new bfs where they arent supported. Longview is really close to FW, and it should be fine. I will be keeping a close eye for some to save for greenie now.

:-D

Deb - Oh .... I wasn't implying that you sending some to Greenie was wrong. Being in the same state and close by, I figured that it would not be a problem at all. I was thinking should anyone else read this and think to send a butterfly chrysalis native only to CA to NY that would NOT be a good idea at all. I just hope those considering this DO check before sending. :-) :-)

Added to say: In some situations, it can actually be illegal. So it is always best to check FIRST! Just a friendly suggestion. :-)

This message was edited Jun 2, 2007 8:31 AM

Yes sis Beck! I knew exactly what you meant girl! LOL! You were right on to clearify. :-) :-)

Update on Black Swallowtails... They are all kinda catching up to each other, with the exception of the newer guys still straped with the one band in middle. ! has made a nice green chrysalis on a branch of Parsley, The second one is enormous, still lumbering around eating.

This message was edited Jun 2, 2007 7:05 PM

Here's big guy.. He was walking up inside te cage.. I had to stick my head inside to get the pic. Bluuury.

I dug up the old thread TexasPuddyPrint started about cat/butterfly cages to add on this thread. I know it was an inspiration to me and will be to others.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/643281/
Just don't get lost reading it........make sure you "watch" this one! LOL!

LOL Sheila! Glad you posted that...So many great ideas on that thread. I am about to build another myself. :-)