I've found various size of this little guys on my Passi. 'Maypop'. and Cypress' vine as I was getting ready to pull the vine down for the season. But, I stopped on my tract, I can't afford to do that just yet until they are done with the vines and be off on their flying journey. Please help me I.D. these little ones.
A smaller one that's clinging onto my cypress vine's seedhead.
I think you've got Gulf Frits there -- the maypops are their host plants. :) Yeah! And, it looks like the one on your cypress vine is about to pupate?!?
I don't have them here, but I've been looking at this forum enough to "think" that's what you've got. :)
Thanks Felicia (?), I'll keep a watchful eye on this fella and see if indeed it's pupating. Woohoo, I thought I saw those butterfies around my Pentas, some Long Swallow Tails as well. I'm camping out on this forum to learn more.
Kim
Do these guys feed on one another? The one on the Cypress vine has some movement, but hasn't vacate the spot. Above it. I saw some shorter segment of what appear to be a remnant of a deadcoat or shell of similar, spiky caterpillar (only it's black). Or is this guy a victim of some other predatorial bug? It's windy out, and most of them that I saw this morning still pretty much remain where/near I last saw them. Including the bigger cat. that I post pic. above. He's munching away on the same location that I've noticed him. Two others aren't eating.
The remnants you saw were probably where one of them molted (shed their skin). I watched one of mine literally walk out of his little black fuzzy self and become bright orange (the black fuzzy stuff takes a while to fill back in). The cats don't tend to eat for a while before they molt so they could be doing that. I used to worry about it a lot but if they're on their food, they'll know when to eat (unlike us humans who just can't seem to stop)! The one in the "J" position definitely looks ready to make his chrysalis - hopefully, you'll soon have a beautiful butterfly!
Ahh...I knew I had a picture of it!
Melanie
Such great analogy about our eating habit vs. the cats. lol. Thanks Melanie. :-)
I'm somewhat relief ~ for these little fellas. Chrisalis? They form chrisalis? I've never seen one on this type of butterfly's chrisalis. And yes, both of you are correct, two of them are indeed pupating. Crows are migrating South, and many other Finches (sp?) are feeding on the ground around the garden. If I were to take these little ones indoor to babysit. Would that be a good idea? I just need to dig up a Passi. and bring it in with me, and keep it in a cage like this one? Ahhh, on the other hand, if they're not eating, the plant isn't neccessary is it? Just pick the branches, and place it ondoor to keep them safe from predatorial birds and such. (pic of the cage to follow).
This is housing my Tersa at present. It will eclose any day now. I hope.
But can I just get another one like this for the GF's cats.?
Lily, that looks great for any kind of butterfly. I have some Gulf Frits in my room right now in a critter keeper plastic cage, but I've kept them in the meshy ones before. I just pick leaves off my passiflora and lay them in there and they figure out what to do. The important thing is to make sure you have something they can pupate on (they will use the top of the mesh) and also to make sure there is something for them to stand on when they come out of the chrysalis. I had one come out and fall and I had to put him out of his misery. You can always wait until they're in the chrysalis and then lean some sticks nearby. Here's a pic of the chrysalis. They move back and forth throughout the day which is fun to watch.
Melanie;
Thanks for the pic. of the cool cacoon. Well, these fellas appear to do fine out there in the garden. I just leave the vines up for them to go about their business ~ for now, until I spot the threat to their safety.
Is this butterfly the result of such cat.? I found one got trapped by spider's web this morning, perhaps newly eclosed? I freed it and put it on a Passi's branch nearby, soon it took off, as I went for the camera.
hope you don't mine me jumping in. I just got a picture of this butterfly laying eggs on my passi the other day. I have a bunch of them potted on my deck and the butterflies are constantly laying eggs. I just couldn't believe I caught this one in the act. I took some pictures of the eggs too if you want to see them.
Welcome to the thread, please post more pics. I'd love to learn. How lucky to spot such experience. I can't wait to see the eggs.
Kim
Indeed the butterflies are beautiful.
Here is one of the eggs she laid the day I got the picture of her. I have this love/hate relationship with them. Love how beautiful they are but hate what they are doing to my passi. So now I remove all the baby cats when they hatch and move them all to one plant so they are only eating up that one. They get to eat and I get to enjoy my flowers :-)
I understand the l/h relationship. I've so many passi. thus these fella are welcomed here. I've noticed though. Lady Margaret Passi is seldomely bothered by these? Am I overlooking something? Thank you, for sharing the pics.
These cats. are happy here so there they remain....
Then I found this little one in hypernation. :-)
Ooooh, this cacoon barely is a day old, and it's turning real dark. Is there something going on? Or is it getting ready to eclose already? I'll be back with a pic. in a few.
Not quite a cacoon, but a chrysalis? But it's turning so dark already. Does it mean that the cat. is molting and getting ready to eclose? Anyone could help me?
I'm not sure about it being so dark; mine were a light brown but I know with other caterpillars there can be a lot of variance. They take about 10-14 days to come out as a butterfly, by the way. That's so great that you rescued one from a spider web!
Other butterfly experts I know you're out there so feel free to chime in!
Mother Nature works her magical ways. Mellanie, didn't you state that the chrysalis will change its hue according to the objects that the cat. selected to pupate on? (on one of your thread). Here this one chose a dead branch/tendril of the passi to pupate. So it color matches up with the straw dead branch that it's hung on. It's camouflaged itself from predators!
Yep, the zebra swallowtails vary the color of their chrysalis. My gulf frits were in the same place so I guess they didn't have to vary their color. Unless the chrysalis turns near black I wouldn't worry too much about it. Another sign of health is that the chrysalis should change positions throughout the day. In the morning it might be pointing one direction, and in the evening a different direction. Sometimes you might even see it move. Mom saw one of the gulf frit's doing that and got all freaked out and called me over. But it's normal. I'm not sure why they move; I know if you touch them they jerk in an effort to get away or dislodge you (who they assume is a predator).
Melanie
Thanks Mellanie, I'm going to take a peak on this fella. More info. later.
The same chrysalis mentioned above still appears viable outdoor! Yeah! And there are many more that appear ready to pupate any day now. ....
But just as Halloween approaches, this guy shows up nearby.....
Better pic. of the spider?
Here I go, checking on this cats. this afternoon, and sure enough this spider is moving in. It was several feet away from these cats. Now it's hidden under a leavfy vine only few inches away from these cats. What to do? What to do?
The dark chrysalis is also in danger, found a small common garden spider on it. So I snatched the Passi's tendril with the chrysalis on it, after I shoooooo the little spider away. Along with it, I picked up 4 other cats. that appear to be ready for pupating.
Question please;
Should I dig up some small straying passi and pot it up for these guys, just in case? One of the 4 appear smaller, but was found on another passi's tendril instead of wandering around and eating....
Will they be okay with just something to crawl on without the food souce Passi?
Well, I've got to move those cats. out of harm way. So I went ahead and relocated them into a cage, along with it, I've a small pot of willow (for them them to crawl on), then I took a few cuttings of the Passi. vines for them to munch on. One of the smaller cat. indeed decided to pupate to escape the hostile environment out there. The 3 others are munching on the passi. Storing up energy for pupating (?).
One of the 4 cats. pupated sometime last night. They were still active in the early evening hours. (At this stage, the cat. changes its appearance very drastically, in 24 hrs. From this to a full chrysalis).
The original chrysalis is now 10 days old, so I'll have a few more days before it ecloses!
By noon, the upside down cat. appears somewhat opaque, the same substance that it uses to hang itself onto the twig. It's so cool to be able to observe their changes so closely.
Good choice of plants that I've brought in for them. Although, they eat the passi's leaves, but prefer something stronger to pupate on, in this case the willow's sappling that I had for them. (My mistake that the little cat. pupate - it was wandering around the cage). The biggest cat. pupated first. Then I discovered another tiny little cat. So small I don't know if it is a G.F. cat. instar. It's too munching on the passi.
Yeah, your cats look so good! I just took mine out of the critter keeper and into the butterfly house. They're pretty big now and I hope they pupate soon - I only have so much passion vine! I also put a small oak limb in the house with them so they would have something to crawl on. It's also good to have something strong for them to make their chrysalis on - good thinking there! When they emerge they need something to hang onto while they dry their wings. I had one fall out of its chrysalis and it damaged the wings; I had to put the poor thing out of its misery. Sounds like you have a good setup and it should be a couple more days until you have a beautiful butterfly!
Melanie
Thanks Melanie, I'm glad that everything is going well at the time. Out in the garden, the spider is also having babies! It appear that I'll have to bring the others (cats.) inside next, if all is as well.
While trying to capture a picture of the newly formed chrysalis of one, the other cat.'s shadow is visible here in this pic. Would have been perfect for Halloween's. :-)
My 4th cat. pupated last evening. The 1st one chrysalis I thought, hope that would have eclosed by now, still hanging in there.
Pic. of the newly pupated cat.
I wonder if cooler temperatures slow them down a bit? I was worried about mine not getting enough light (I want them to know it's not winter - yet) so Mom has been placing them in front of her office window. My room is on the south side of the house so I never get much light. I guess in the end all we can do is wait - they know when it's time!
As our temp. is getting cooler everyday, the passi vines also show signs of decline. I continue to pick more fresh vines for these guys everyday. My 5th cat. eclosed so I've noticed this early morning. While picking on some fresh vine, two more smaller cats hitched a ride "home" to the cage. Hahhh, I'm losing count of these fellas, beside the chrysalii, I've maybe half a dozen cats or so to babysit. :-) I trust they know when it's time to do their things.
I do my parts, they've got to mind theirs. lol.
Melanie,
Help please, my 5th G.F. chrysalis just newly pupated yesterday, this morning I found it laying on the bottom of the cage. What do I need to do?
Guess what? My very 1st G.F. eclosed this morning!!!! Yippie! This one pupated on the 1st of the month. And here she/he is!
Edit for correction; this beauty pupated back on Sept. 22nd, instead of Oct. 1st as noted above. My appology.
This message was edited Nov 16, 2007 11:54 AM
It's time for the beauty to spread her/his wings. So fly butterfly. I released the baby to the garden, it poses for the picture as if to thanks me for keeping it safe indoor these past weeks. :-)
The chrysalis fell? Wow he didn't do a very good job of silking it, huh? Is there anything left of the silk? I'm asking because if you can tie it to something that would work, but you have to be careful about not touching the chrysalis. I imagine a little thread wouldn't be critical to it, but I like to err on the safe side. Some people on here use hot glue to restick chrysalids, but of course you should let the glue cool a little and once again, you don't want to get any on the chrysalis. When all else fails I set them in their own plastic container. But I know some butterflies need to hang to form properly (Monarchs), and some don't care if they lay down (swallowtails). Let me link to this thread over in the daily butterfly thread and see if we can't get some more people to jump in on this discussion.
Melanie, while I was waiting for your response. I gently picked the chrysalis and placed on top of some cushiony leaves and branches. I hope the thing is okay. It looks viable. Thank you, for your help.
Kim
