In the wild I mean. I've got 2 in a container with a screen lid. One hung in a J for a day now is just hanging straight. Did it die since it's straight, just hanging there?
Another in the same jar is eating away and is twice as big (allmost) as the one that started hanging.
Here's the milkweed I had the wire cage over. My first attempts at saving them failed. They escaped. That milkweed continued growing and is now higher than I am 5'5".
I would say your cat should be fine. Is still a caterpillar?
My monarchs never have pupated on the plnat, they usually crawl to to trellis that sits right next to it. In a cage they just crawl to the highest point and pupate.
In the future you could save them by bringing them off the plant, put them in a little netted cage with leaves and let nature take its course.
Flutter
Yes, still looks the same as the one crawling, but isn't hanging in a j shape, it's hanging straight down.
Does it do anything if you touch it? Like jump away?
Yep Flutter, It might move a bit, but very sensitive while pupating. It is a vulnerable time to be out in the open too. parasites can lay their larvae in them.
I love the broad leaf Milkweed you have there!
:-Deb
deb, It is Jamlovers pic and her cat that is having problems. I am trying to find out from Jamlover if it moves or not.
Flutter
jamlover ..
I have reason to believe that sometimes .. it is a Monarch caterpillars' 'instincts', and will lead/drive it to seek a 'perch' ASAP, and they will hang to pupate ON the milkweed plants they've been feeding on. I have seen it happen several times, however, it does seem that they fall easy pray to spiders, etc. .. like Debnes stated above. Their survival rate is practically nill, if left to remain on their host plants! But, ya gotta wonder .. if this too, is not part of a greater plan .. that we're not sposed to interfer with and/or alter. I sure don't know ..
A funny thing (for me) .. is that for a very long time, I'd thought it was only because they were young caterpillars and jes didn't know any better. (Yep, tis the whole truth!) With more intent reading, my wee brain could process the info to 'comprehend' .. that ALL are (or have been) a caterpillar .. only ONCE in their life time. (hee)
It was a most similar scenario that took place in just the last few years .. when I'd long wondered about the various 'sizes' of butterfly that one may observe within the 'same' butterfly species - - that they'd just not finished 'growing up'. Nope, that haint the case either.
Oh me! Try to forgive my temporary visit to another butterfly dimension .. jamlover
- Magpye
lol Magpye
jamlover-
I've found cocoons all over my gardens! It's horrible when I get in a "cuttin" mood because Im scared that I'll chop em! I've found them on my fence,under the window,on house eves,on grass blades,attatched to the lip of pots and anywhere else their little heart desired!
Adrienne
Sorry jamlover my initial post was for you... (oops & thx flutter).
Yep first they find a place, like magpye said, many times right on their host plant. Then some have been known to wander off a ways. Like Adrienne, I have found them all over the place. They hang straight, then curl their head a bit, forming a J. Is yours done yet?... I should be by now. How does it look?
He's just hanging straight down. At first he was in a j shape but for 24 hours he's just straight. I wiggled the jar a little to see if anything happened but he just swung with the jar. Seems like his color is a little duller than before. Maybe amost gray. A leaf I put in for then yesterday has been half consumed by the other one!! And that's a big leaf. I had to remove the tip to fit it in the 2 qt. jar.
The other one after chomping for 24 hours on the new leaf crawled up and is just sitting on the underside of the screen lid. He moves his head (or rear) when I moved the jar a little.
Yesterday while I cleaned the jar and put in the fresh leaf dh held the screen very carefully. Maybe that was to much activity while he was getting ready to pupate.
Oh dear! It just may have been too much. Jamlover have you seen my thread on easy cat cages? It might help you some. A glass jar might get too hot, and they need a lot of ventilation. I know glass is too slick for a butterfly to climb up on to dry it's wings. If they can't climb their wings dry all warped.
I hope the other one is alright jamlover.
:-Deb
forgot to post the link.. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/747907/
This message was edited Jul 16, 2007 7:22 PM
Number 2 is hanging in a perfect j and has turned blackish like the first one that is hanging straight.
Think maybe number 1 is dead but I'll just leave him there.
I've kept the jar in the shade outside. Brought it in the garage now to observe. Just finished reading your thread. I've never watched this happen before so this is a complete new experience.
Is my screen small enough to keep the bad guys out? Could I cover a plastic container with it like you did? Screen probably not small enough.
Jamlover,
For my neck of the woods screen was not small enough. As for fabric, go through some old lingere' and see if you have something relatively see through, though it doesn't matter as much, because you can see through the back and sides of the containers I am using. you will be amazed how much easier it is to service the cats, and the ventilation is great for them.
Also, the way I have wrapped the blocks of floral foam is working great too. Putting a piece of duct tape securely on top and poking a hole just big enough for the stems. You can refil these and use them over and over by washing the off good, and filling with fresh water. If the hole gets too reemed out, all you do is squeeze the sides of the foam block, or put another piece of tape over it and make a smaller hole.
:-D
Excitement in the "baby jar"
Number 2 who was hanging in a j is now covered with it's greenish cacoon. Shoot!! I looked less than an hour ago and it hadn't done anything. Looks like the pupa stage. How long is it likely to be in this before it emerges?
Never done or observed this before. Exciting. Will be gone Wed. eve and all day Thursday. Will I probably miss the activity. What to do????
Jamlover, if they hang straight down after first "j'ing up", it probably has been stung by a parasite. When stung, they will sometimes go on into chrysalis but will die inside.
As many have said, once they decide to j-up they "go walk-about" (eh, Magpye) and they can cover a lot of ground. They like something where they can hang straight down. I could use up a lot of space here telling you were all we have found chrysalises, including the underside of a dinning room chair.
When they j-up you can tell when they are about to go into chrysalis (about 2 days) because the antennae on their head will wilt and hang straight down. From chrysalis to emerging allow about 10 days. We keep a small magnetic marker board on the refridg reminding of what day to watch - e.g., "b'fly watch dd/mm".
Good luck,
Rod
OK Rod, so being gone probably won't be a problem. I still have the half leaf of milkweek in the jar. When it hatches will it be able to crawl up the milkweed leaf again? Someone said my glass jar wouldn't allow it to climb, or should I put a small stick in the container for it to climb?
Problem is I have to move the screen it is attached to in order to add the stick!! Ideas? Solutions?
This dude was only hours and did this!! I missed the whole thing!!
I have many times had to move a crysalid into a bigger home to make sure they have room to spread wings. You can take the screen out and put it into a bigger cage with a safety pin. Can you get your hands on one of those small pop up laundrey bags that zipper shut? I use something similar from insectlore and when my cats crysalid, I either take the lid they formed on and pin in to the inside of the cage or I attach the actual crysalid (If it has a lot of silk that it attached itself with)
Flutter
Jam, It only takes 10 minutes or so to pupate. I was lucky to actually get to photograph it.
First, the J
Beginning
Almost done
Complete
And this last one is the chrysalis right before it emerges. You can see the wings through the pupa.
Excellent photos, Karen. : )
Well, I'll Beeeee___ I can't see anything through the pupa or will I in a few days. It only did it yesterday.
Count 10 days forward from when the chrysalis formed, then start watching for it to turn dark.
Rod
