A view on its side, it is a soft green and gold speckles.
I have this Amazing Chrysalid, what is it?
A view laying on its back.
View of its back or top, the stuff to the right is silk.
I can't wait to find out what it is.
Josephine.
Very pretty, Josephine!! That Chrysalis looks vaguely familiar. I think Cat (TPP)
raised a caterpillar that had a chrysalis that looked similar to yours, but I don't remember what species of butterfly it was. I'm sure she'll post on your thread with an ID. (If not, d-mail her.)
Josephine,
Not sure what it is...sort of looks like a Variegated Frit but it's lacking some markings that really define the head and wings. How big is it? Do you think it's small like a metalmark butterfly or bigger like one of the fritillaries?
Do keep us informed!!!
~ Cat
Here's the topside of a VF chrysalis. Like I said, the bumps look similar in shape and color but the rest of the body is missing the markings that define the body.
and the side...lots of copper and gold metallic coloring as well as a lovely mother of pearl base color. Really iridescent.
~ Cat
Looks like a cross between a Monarch and a VF chrysalis to me! Maybe someone cross-bred and you have a new species! LOL! Stranger things have been known to happen! (Do you hear the Twilight Zone theme song playing here?! lol)
Any possibility of the chrysalis belonging to one of the Metalmarks .. or one of Crescents or Checkerspots -?-
(heehee .. ^ THAT oughta have narrowed it down a bit!) .. LOL ..
Welllll, it's obvious .. I, too, am anxious to know what s/he may turn into!! .. hee
((huggs))
- Magpye
Can we guess, and see who's right? lol
I'll say a Checkered White. : )
~Lucy
This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 2:48 PM
Any of your guesses is as good as mine, I really don't know and have not seen a picture like it. Of course many of the butterfly pages don,t show the chrysalis, so sometimes it is very hard to know.
I am pretty sure it is not the VF, because it looks quite different from your chrysalis.
I found the cat on a wild passion vine at Pappy Elkins park along with some Gulf Fritilaries, and it looked a little different but I never paid much attention until it pupated, so maybe one of you know what other cat eats passion vine that is unusual, or we may have to wait to find out.
Anyway it is really neat and thank you for your response.
Josephine.
What a beautiful chrysalis.......looks more like jewelry.....are you sure that's real Josephine? lol
My books don't have too many chrysalid pictures either :(
I think I hear X-Flies theme playing ,Becky! I don't think I can remember when this forum has been stumped for almost 20 hours like this Josephine you've really got something there if no one get's it. Josephine did you say you got it out in Roswell?
I don't know why it's not showing, it's the top left corner picture.
http://images.google.com/images?rls=DNUS%2CDNUS%3A2006-36%2CDNUS%3Aen&hl=en&q=variegated+fritillary+chrysalis&gbv=2
I'd say it definitely looks like the picture of the variegated fritillary that fly_girl found.
We want pictures when it emerges!
Terrie
That picture kind of did, but the others I found didn't, they were more mottled black and white, but the gold bumps were similar. So....maybe not.
I did a google search and the majority of the pictures looked like frostweed's chrysalid. I agree, though, that some of the pictures seemed to have more black and white. Wonder if its a gender thing. Maybe females have more spots. It'll be interesting to find out.
Terrie
Well.............. whatever it is ................ WE WANT TO SEE SOME PHOTOS when it emerges!!!!
The chrysalis doesn't glow in the dark does it????? Roswell for sure! LOL! I'm certainly stumped. But my guess is VF! Maybe a gender-bender butterfly, perhaps?
Well, it looks like the picture that Fly-Girl found looks a lot like my cat, but not exactly, the others didn't, and it makes sense since i found it together with the GF cat I brought home from the wild.
Here is the picture that she found.
http://ragamuffin.com/var.%20frit.%20chrysalis.jpg
P.S. I will watching it like a hawk.
This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 7:56 PM
Thanks Jo, I couldn't get it to post!
I'm anxious to see too. After it ecloses, you can glue that chrysalis back together and make a pendant out of it...or sell it on Ebay...it's beautiful!
Fly-girl,
How do you make a pendant out of a chrysalid? I've never seen one.
Haha, I don't know! I've never seen one, it just looks like it would be a pretty one.
I bet there's a way to do that. Wonder if Mod Podge or something like that would work to harden it. Hmmmm.... makes me think.
8*D
It looks like a VF to me. They have so many host plants. I'm sure you have some, Josephine!
Josephine-
Here's how Rick Mikula describes a VF cocoon in his book The Family Butterfly Book...
"The chrysalis is a shiny blue-green, appearing as if it were constructed from mother of pearl. Adorned with flecks of gold, orange, and black, it looks more like a piece of jewelry than a pupa."
Ha! Well, if that doesn't follow this thread than I don't know what does!!!
Keep us posted! (and how fun for you Josephine)
Adrienne
I love that book, Adrienne! Everything I know about raising cats/butterflies I learned from that book! And then I learned all the details here from all the wonderful folks who frequent this forum! :-)
Thank you very much for the information Adrienne, it sounds just like it all right.
I can't wait to see it, right now it is in the cage with 32 other chrysalids at different stages of maturity, should I separate it from the others?
I'm keep thinkin', that it may possibly be the Crimson Patch or maybe the Baltimore Checkerspot.
It's been about 3 days, frostweed .. Are there any updates; any further colorations being revealed by any of them?
C'mon now .. you know we're all chompin' at the bit! .. lol ..
- Magpye
I am sorry, but no changes yet, it looks just as pretty as the first day.
I did have 5 GFs and one GST eclose today so it was a happy day of letting them go.
The new butterfly garden is getting well stocked, every time I go I find more cats and bring them home to raise, I noticed today that they were using their ( Buffet )
which is the logs with the special brew on them and the puddle tray.
So I am very happy and excited.
I will report on the special baby as soon as I have news.
Josephine.
Josephine,
Your babies are drinking your bait? I made a lovely batch and noone touched it! Arrrgh!
Whats your recipe??Me?
1 lb brn sgr
1 btl Guiness Stout
14 bananas
1 jar molasses
Did I do it wrong??
Adrienne
Adrienne, I used the same thing as you, but no molasses, I used Deb's recipe,
here is the link; http://www.theletteroflove.com/wallpaper/index.php?paged=4
I must tell you that they didn't come to it right away, it took about 2 weeks, and I applied it twice a week, just drizzled it over the logs.
So don't give up, also they are most likely to come during the hot part of the day, so you might check then. Here is what my set up looks like.
Josephine.
Adrienne,
I use everything but molasses. Am not where I read or heard that it affects the digestion? Don't hold me to that...but I tried to google for info on it and couldn't come up with anything. Oh well, I just never use molasses but have read where other folks do.
...and it depends on what butterflies are in your yard. Pretty much only butterflies from the brushfoot family come to bait. Butterflies like emperors, leafwings, admirals, bluewings, common mestra, some blues and satyrs. malachite and a few others. You won't see sulphurs or swallowtails or fritillaries at bait...or if you do...it's a fluke :o)
Since this tri-county area in the south tip of Texas gets a little over 300 species the bait recipe we use is tried and true. Dark stout beer works better than a light colored beer...must be the amount of yeast in it or something. Guiness so far is the best one for us...and yes, we've all tried the cheaper brands. The more the brew ferments, the better, but heck, we put it out as soon as we make up a batch. Use the same old tree stumps or bait stations...butterflies can hone in on the scent but they also seem to develop a flight pattern to head straight to it day after day.
Hey Becky...just noticed your link with the bait recipes. Thanks for the credit :o) Gotta love us in South Texas!!!
~ Cat
This message was edited Jun 29, 2007 9:02 PM
Hello Cat, Deb gave you credit for the recipe on her site also, I gave the link to her site because that was the only place I knew to find the recipe quickly, but I also knew it originated with you.
Josephine.
Thanks ! I'll research on the brushfoots...
Adrienne
Great News!!!! My special Baby eclosed today and it is Drum rolll..!!!!!!
A Varigated Fritillary ! she is so pretty and she sure didn't look like the other VF chrysalis I had seen, here she is, her colors are so rich and her markings so perfect, I just love her.
Just emerged.
A little later.
About an hour later, I had to prod her to open her wings, looks like a stained glass window, and the color is so rich.
This one is a little dark, but shows her nicely.
And the last one, released at the Fielder House Garden. Good by, my precious.
