The 7 Dwarfs

Introducing the 7 dwarfs. : )

Well, you all have gone and done it, now. I'm a BF mom. : )

The other day I saw a Gulf Frit flying around my RED passion vine. I went to investigate. Sure enuff she was depositing her eggs on it. I had read that it is not the right kind of passion for her to be doing that, and it must be true because the plant has never been eaten down.

So,.... I found 7 eggs, and I had another passion vine (caerulea), so I transfered them to a leaf of it.
It took about 4 days for them to hatch.

Saturday, I had to go to my daughters house 40 miles away, and had them outside to warm while they snacked under a tree. On the way back, about 20 miles from home, I noticed dark clouds. Oh NO!

It was pouring when I got home, and ran out back and got them. The bottom of their bowl had about a 1/10 of an inch of water in it. I just knew they had drowned. Nope.....all high and dry. : )

I had used one of those florist tubes for the leaf, and propped it up in the bowl with a staple puller. lol
Anyway, they were all huddled under the leaf so the rain didn't touch them. Sigh of relief. : )

Here they are, now. (sorry the pic isn't very good.)
~Lucy

HA!!! I'll give you one day more before that leaf is completely eaten up :o) Yep, you'll be pulling leaves morning noon and night in no time at all.

Congrats on saving the buggers...glad you had the foresight to prop up that floral tube.

~ Cat

I have to get another vine also. This one only has about 5, 5ft vines. Just got it a few weeks ago.

Do I have to separate these at any time? I don't want them to eat each other.
~Lucy

Nope, they'll be fine and will move to other leaves on their own. Haven't had a GF eat or fight with another before. Unlike Monarch and Queens and some swallowtails which will eat younger instars and even chrysalids.

To be on the safe side always have plenty of food for them.

~ Cat

Also, 2 of them are getting their little black spines. : )

And, I saw a yellow butterfly on my cassia today, and I have 2 of her white eggs. They are real tiny. : )

I will feed them well. : ) I'll probably have 40 more questions soon. lol

Oops, I just thought of 1. How many times will they change before the chrysalids?

Most go through five instar stages before they turn into chrysalids. Anywhere from 5 to 10 days per stage...sometimes longer depending on food source, temperature etc.

~ Cat

OK... thanks. : )
I'm tired gonna get some sleep. This mommy stuff wore me out. lol
Nite..........