Ok...I need some good advice quick! My only monarch chrysalis (the one I was worried about falling) fell when I was changing out a different cage. It doesn't have any silk to put a pin through. Is there anything I can do? For now I tied some floss around a little tip that is sticking out the top and hung him by that from a stick. I'm not even sure it is alive, of all 5 cats I had this is the only one that made his chrysalis successfully, all the others either died as cats or in the process of pupating. I don't know why. I also don't understand why their silk isn't holding them. Is there anything I can do?
Kim
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 38
Kim, blue eyes.. sorry, I can't help with the chrysalis problem.
Kim.. I think that is Pearl Crescent. Here is pic of mine.
Deb those are great dragonfly pics and hummer too.
Mellie, have you or anyone tried using salt blocks or mineral blocks (they are for the deer actually) for butterflies? bet your butterflies will love all those new blooms after the rain ya'll are getting.
Elaine
Don't consider mine the quickest or the best, advice, but I've used dental floss before and they eclosed just fine. I've also just propped up a chrysalis on sticks so that when he eclosed, he could climp to dry. Worked out just fine. I haven't tried glue or double back tape. Maybe someone with experience using those can tell you. Sounds like your floss will work ok; mine did.
Thanks everyone..
Yeah Kim, Deborah told you well... Your Monarch should be alright tied up that way. with Monarchs there is a pretty good stem on top (cremaster) to tie it up with. Now will just wait and see. As for the others dying off.. with the way you describe it sounds as though they could have possibly had contact with some sort of biological agent. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/BT
or diatomaceous earth (DE)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diatomaceous%20earth
can work just like that. Both of those are organic so even organic nurseries use them to keep their plants attractive.
One more thing is that if you took them in after they were in their 2nd or later instar, theres a high chance they could have been hosted by either a trichogramma or chalcid wasp.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trichogramma%20wasp
Here in our area last year there were out-of-control numbers of the trichogramma because of people buying them to control web worms. Keep in mind these are just possibilities with only a few suggestions.
If you grew the plants from seed, it probably isn't the BT or DE we can research some more to see what it could be... Let me know if you want to investigate further.
Ephalba :-)
the butterfly in your pic looks like a Tawny Emperor Butterfly,
http://www.nestbox.com/sections/MDbutterflies/taem.htm
which is very similar to the Hackberry Emperor. Both have eyespots on both upper and lower ventral wing ....
PL has 4 small eyespots on the lower wing, and APL has 2 large eyespots. Both only on the lower wing.
I believe the Emperors are very beautiful butterflies! Congrats on the great capture! They are very flighty, and hard to photograph sometimes. They do drink flower nectars, but prefer rotting fruit or "bait".
Debnes
Another problem Monarchs can have is a parasite called OE. You can read more about it here: http://butterflybreeders.com/pages/disease_prevention_what_is_oe.html
Never tried the salt thing, but I am going to try and build an artificial "puddle" station. I need to collect some rocks and pebbles and such so the mosquitos don't use it. It sounds funny, but it's hard to find rocks in Florida. Lots of shells, not so many rocks.
Hmmm...thanks for the info Deb and Mellie. The plants they were on have been in my garden for over a year now...so I don't think it would be a biological agent but who knows. I think it might have been at least partly due to the trip they made with me to my parents one weekend. I don't think they travel well. The BST cats traveled great though. I just hope this one makes it. I released another BST today, I was panicked because when I got home the hamper was on its side, the cover was part way off, and my cats were eyeing it suspiciously. But thankfully it was unharmed. Boy did it take off in a hurry though once it got outside! Lol...
Since this is my first year trying to raise cats, I figure there is a learning curve. At least they are getting a fighting chance, which is more than the wasps outside would give them.
Kim
I have some really bad pics but would like to get them ID'd for future reference if I could!
yesterday... these are REALLY bad pics! I couldn't get the camera to focus for anything!
This message was edited Jun 25, 2008 10:22 AM
and
Nanny, your butterflies are so colorful! Thank you, Deb. For so many helpful link. Mellie is a great instructor, wondering if she has room for a pupil.
Thanks! I don't recall ever seeing the last one before...ever!
This message was edited Jun 25, 2008 10:50 AM
Nanny, I think the first one is a painted lady. Second one is a question mark. Your last one looks like a morning cloak.
This message was edited Jun 25, 2008 11:02 AM
It's time again! This is the RSP that eclosed this morning. I took it outside later...and released it just after this pic.
Yup, I second Meredith. Not that I ever see those butterflies in my area. The first two are supposed to show up in my state, but I have yet to see them. I wish I had those Mourning Cloaks - how pretty is that?!
Thanks Kim, but I have to give lots of credit to Deb for teaching me! I've only been doing this for a year, and I'm sure next summer we will all be experts.
I currently have way too many hungry Polydamas cats. I'm trying to convince them to stop eating and go into their chrysalis, but so far only two have listened to me. My Pipevine ST babies are doing well; I watched one molt today. This morning I had to defend my dill from evil, giant slugs. I only have three Black STs, but they eat like they're a whole gang of caterpillars.
Speaking of which...Dad and I got into a discussion the other day about what you call a group of caterpillars. You know how there's a pride of lions, murder of crows, school of fish, etc. Dad says if there isn't already a name for it, he wants to call it a cache of caterpillars.
Melanie (who's back on gut purge patrol - if these guys ever stop eating)
Ooh, Red-Spotted Purples are Melanie's favorite. They haven't found my cherry tree yet, but I have hope! Maybe I'll see another one on vacation this year...
Red spotted purples are one of my favorites : ) They'd probably be my favorite if I could get them to come around more. I love a challenge : ) I have a couple prunus serotina in pots, they are good size. Probably about my height in the pots. I got them last spring and so far I haven't a place to put them. I keep checking them for Tiger swallowtail cats and RSP cats but no luck as of yet. : ( I also have a weeping pussywillow that I haven't found any rsps on. When I see them in my yard they are usually patrolling and fly up over the roof or high into the trees and then disapear. They are the reason I want to try butterfly bait. Would you believe I bought 3 lbs. of half rotten bananas and 1 lb. of brown sugar but they went so rotten they were beyond use before I ever picked up the Guiness. I just couldn't find them in singles and I'll probably end up throwing 5 bottles away. I do have a picture I got of one in 2006 http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/showimage.php?eid=117345 and one sun basking from 2007 http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/showimage.php?eid=141076 but I want more. lol ....I am going to get Guiness and bananas tomorrow for sure : )
This message was edited Jun 25, 2008 11:17 PM
My Pipevine ST cats are still growing. The biggest one molted again today which surprised me because it seems like he just molted. You can really see the antenna things are very long and they've got a bit of a curl to them. I think these cats kind of look like little lobsters.
Melanie
I like the "little lobsters" description! All mine pupated a while back. But this time I caught the butterfly actually visiting my yard. I seldom see any swallowtails any more, so I tried real hard to get a pic.
Great shot Linda!
I had to go pick some pawpaw after work for my hungry Zebra ST cats and even though I say I'm not going to look for any more, I always do. I was a little concerned that I was only finding babies and eggs. Here's a little cat and there's an egg on the right side of the leaf.
But just about the time I was heading back to the car, I spotted this guy. He was very angry at being moved and let me tell you - this guy has the smelliest stinkhorns I've smelled in a long time. I've always said Zebra STs are the stinkiest. They're lucky they're so cute.
Cute little babies, Mellie.
Linda, great shot. What was pvine feeding on?
Elaine
I found my first Monarch egg which hatched yesterday. The fun has begun.
Ohhh, all the cuties cats. I wanted some! debilu, good lucks with yours.
There have been several threads this spring about an apparent lack of Eastern Black Swallowtails. I rarely see them myself, but I never had their host plant before. So at the butterfly festival exactly two weeks ago, I purchased some dill, bronze fennel, and parsley. It came with a few cats and thus far I have two big ones that survived. I went to pick some fennel for them just a few minutes ago, and it was covered with eggs. I actually bought two fennels, and both had eggs, although the smaller one had fewer, naturally. So while I can't say I've seen any Black STs this year, I have the evidence.
As for how long it takes a butterfly to find your plants, in the case of both the milkweed and now the fennel, it took exactly two weeks. I gathered up the eggs and I'm going to take them to MOSI tomorrow. I don't have enough food, and I'm leaving for vacation in a couple weeks. Plus, we have a tank already set up with some Black ST cats in it. I'm just glad I have an adopted mommy for them.
So Melanie can say that the Eastern Black STs are apparently alive and kicking in Tampa.
What an enjoyable and informative thread. I have many fleeting butterflies. I had no idea what an egg looked like or the other stages. Something is having a blast with my Japanese Blueberry. Early tomorrow morning, 5:30am, is when I start gardening and I will take a look, now that I know what to look for. At 5:30am it is already 73 degrees. We usually have a lot of wasps but haven't seen many this year, We have a pool and Koi pond and they are usually collecting water from both. Thank you to everyone. I've been on over an hour and was throughly entertained and educated. Picture of my baby hummers that just fledged and are now flying and having a blast in the climbing fig and laurel tree.
Those lil hummers are so cute, skwinter. : )
So sweet!!
Mel...
I wish I had the MOSI to take my babies to.
I had two emerge this morning while I was feeding the 20 plus BST cats I have just brought in. I took them as soon as I could to flowers and carefully placed them. The wind was so high I was afraid they would injure themselves, but I was in a rush to leave. I went back down to the shop to begin my loading of the car for a swap and there were 2 more then 5, next time I went down there were 6. Finally I called a neighbor; knowing I needed to leave for E. Texas swap. I asked him if he would do my releases for me and explained how. He told me after we got back this afternoon there was two more emerge! So that was a total of 10 BST headed NE this afternoon from South Fort Worth!
This is just a few, they were all over the cage.
Wow Sheila that's so cool! I like your cage too, very cool.
Yesterday morning, I checked on my polydamas at 7:00 am and she had already emerged! I kept guard for two hours and then my dog startled her and she flew away. Here she is.
After I finished babsitting my poly, I went to the Sheldon Lake Education Center for a morning nature walk. This is how crazy y'all have made me -- not only did I babysit a newly emerged butterfly all morning, but I was taking pictures of a totally cool Broad-banded Watersnake when I saw this caterpillar. I stopped taking pics of the snake to take caterpillar pictures!
I also went nuts trying to identify this one. My book only has a picture with the wings closed, a Hackberry Emperor.
Earlier I mused that Giant Swallowtails might be my favorites, but maybe Gulf frits are. I love their striped bodies and the orange on the tips of their antennae. The pink under their wings is so unusual and I love the way the white spots reflect the light like mirrors.
Ah, that's how it goes! Butterflies and cats become a whole new world and you can't ignore them anymore. They have their way of taking over parts of your life. Nice pics! And cute hummer pic, skwinter...I never seem to see their nests myself.
Y'all are amazing with all the great photos! it's good to see so many old friends here and lots of newbies! Great job spreading the word about Butterfly raising and releasing! :-)
DH and I went to Butterfly Weekend at a local nursery today, and there was a guy from the zoo with Monarch cats and chrysalis, telling us all about them. DH was in awe, and I'm saying - I told you that before... but it was nice. I learned most of what I know from here!
LOL!! But you are just his DW, to him that guy knew what he was talking about! You know they never listen to us. LOL!
This message was edited Jun 30, 2008 7:21 AM
The way I found my hummingbird nest is I sat down and took a time out because I was hot and tired. The mother entered the courtyard and was buzzing around. I sat very still and minutes later she headed right to the nest which at that time
she continued working on the nest. From that time on it was a daily adventure. The nests on the upstairs patio was always obvious because when you came out on the patio the mother would try to chase you away. Then you started looking for the nests. But the one in the ciurtyard was so close that you could see what was going on every dat. The larger the babies got the more the nest would stretch. Did you know they make their nest out of spider web and then they eat the spiders?
Could someone send pictures of butterfly caterpillar damage on a plant. I must say I Iook at all the leaf damage under a different light after finding this thread. Have a great day tomorrow.
skywinter, you are so lucky to have a nest that is so easy to see. I think they usually build their nests up too high to be found around my house. I'm so glad you shared you pics.
The first of my PVST butterflies to emerge.
I can tell you are a proud momma Linda. (showing pictures twice! LOL!)
He/she is beautiful. I know we have them here, but I haven't seen one in my yard. I did plant pipevine last year, but it was the wrong kind, so this year I have the wooly pipevine but it is still very small.
Congrats on your first of the season!