My Introduction and new pupa's

[TnTsParty2]

Hi everyone. I am new. Both new to this forum and new to monarch rearing. I live in south east Florida, 3 weeks ago I planted scarlet milkweed in my front yard in the hopes of attracting Monarchs. About a week and a half ago I started seeing caterpillars all different sizes. I then started doing alot of research on the internet to find out more about them. I noticed a spider that had set up a web on the hibiscus I have next to the milkweed and I started seeing less caterpillars and no pupas. On Wed. (6/7) I decided I to find something I could bring some caterpillars in the house. I had 2 large mason jars and brought in 3 caterpillars in the 5th instar. Last night I noticed one of the caterpillars had gone into its prepupal J. This morning it is now a pupa and another of the caterpillars is in its prepupal J. I really need to clean out the jars since I last did it yesterday morning. How long should I wait before moving the pupa?

[harpo787]

Hello and welcome fellow South Floridian. I'm near the Ft. Lauderdale area myself, and my mom's garden is in Hollywood.

When it comes to moving the pupa, I'd think that the less you move them the better. How large are the mason jars? Large enough for a butterfly to fully expand it's wings? If not, than I'd say after a week you'd be more than fine to move them. They will have become quite solid and tough. If they're hanging from the jar lid, perhaps you could just remove the lid and place it somewhere else (in a fish tank perhaps).

I'm sure some folks with far more experience at this will come in and give you some advice. I've only been at this for a few months.

[TnTsParty2]

Thanks. I am in Delray Beach. I just watched the other caterpiller turn into a pupa it was kinda neat to watch. My sister is bringing over her butterfly hanging screen thing she had when her daughter watched painted lady butterflies do their thing. It should be good for these 2 to emerge from there. I rescued another caterpillar because I saw another spider and I am missing one of my outside caterpillars. I could identify it because after it molted the last time (I think from 4th to 5th) the front antenne things were stuck to his head and stayed like that. It molted like 3 days ago and I saw him every day including this AM and now he is gone. So I am hoping to save what I can. Saw a monarch butterfly in the yard this morning so that is a good sign. We don't see them too much and I figure any little bit I can do to help nature is good!! I of course will be releasing the ones I have once they emerge.

[dzyg]

Welcome! Once the crysallis is dry, and you can tell when it is totally formed and hardened after you have seen a few formed, you should just take off the top of the jar, put it on an empty jar while you clean the one it was in and then put it back. That is what I do. I don't like to move the cats once they make the J but once the crysalis is dry I can and do move the lids around, especially if other cats are in the same container. Pretty much about an hour after the crysallis is totally formed you can gently move the lid to another jar. I generally use the bigger 64 oz peanut butter jars (they are fatter than the smaller jars) to rear the cats in and other larger containers. I like to keep only 2-3 cats per jar but this year things have gotten a bit out of hand with all the eggs I found so early. I have been crazily moving cats around so they don't bother the ones that are J hanging. I have approx 20 crysallis right now, probably about 10 or so J hanging and about 80-90 cats of various sizes. I would love to take more in as there are so many more out there on my milk weeds and vulnerable to all the bugs on the plants but I simply can't take any more in. It is taking me a couple hours a day to feed the cats and clean the containers I have.

As far as the cat you think disappeared on your milkweeds, it probably went off to find a place to make its crysallis. They do not make them on the milkweed plants and sometimes travel quite far to find the right spot. I have only found two crysallis in the wild. I have looked alot all around the milkweed patches on other plants and trees near them but have only found two, one under our deck and one on the bottom of the siding on our house.

[TnTsParty2]

Thanks for the advice. At the moment all 4 of my caterpillars are now crysallis' - the last one went into a J last night and was a pupa by about 8:30 this morning. I had originally taken in 3 caterpillars and my DH named them - Slick, Speedy and Scooter. Well Scooter was the first one to go in his crysallis then Slick while Speedy was just munching along. I took in a fourth cat and he ended up going into his crysallis right on the glass of the jar (not really where I want him to be but...) and Speedy was still creeping around he eventually found a spot he liked (the lid of the jar) and is now in his crysallis. Granted I don't know if they are male or female I just assume they are boys - I really hope I have boys and girls)

[harpo787]

I know what you mean hoping for boys and girls. I'm trying to have a self-perpetuating garden here, so I don't have to raid my mom's garden for cats...although she does need all the help she can get because there are so many!

Just this morning I had 3 of the pupae hatch, I THINK they're all boys. I'll have to give a more detailed look later on today after school today, but am I remembering correctly? The boys have the scent pouches?

[TnTsParty2]

Well I had my first one hatch and I don't know if its going to make it. I found it in the bottom of the jar upside down and so I took it out and it was still alive and wet. One set of wings were out and the other set the top one is very curled. I didn't know what else to do but put it outside to let it do what it needs to do naturally. I am checking on it constantly. Now I am worried about my others and that they have enough room to emerge. I know the one I have in the butterfly house my sister gave me will have enough room (and that is the 2nd one to pupate) I am just afraid that the others will emerge when I am at work and I won't be able to help them. I am wondering what happens when they fall on the bottom and they can't get nothing to cling onto to hang to pump their wings?

[dzyg]

Sorry that one fell and doesn't look like it will make it. Usually if the wings get crumpled there isn't much you can do. I had three last year that had deformed feet, they didn't have the little toes to hold on and they all fell when they hatched too. The ones on the top of the jar should be fine, they should be able to hold onto the crysallis plus there is usually lots of that fine webbing like stuff when they make their crysallis that they can hold onto also. Was the one that fell on the side of the jar or the top? I have three this year that made their crysallis on the side of containers, very odd as you would think the top would be more suitable. Two of them I laid on the side so the crysallis is hanging but one I couldn't. I also have four that made their crysallis on the milkweed leaves I had in for them to eat. Those were easy as I just taped the leaf to the top of the jar.

I had two hatch this morning, both females, we let them go late this afternoon.

I also found a crysallis outside today, couldn't beleive it, that is only the third one I have found in the wild. Will be interesting to watch.

Good luck with your remaining crysallis.

[TnTsParty2]

The one that fell was attached to a Milkweed branch on the side of the jar He was gone in the evening when I went out there - there were other Monarchs around and my DH said it looked like a healthy one came up to him (my monarch) and gave him something. So maybe the healthy ones helped him out.

I have one that did attach to the side of the jar and another that attached to the top of the jar (on the pantyhose I used for the lid) and another that attached to a milkweed branch that I attached to the top of a small folding butterfly house that my sister let me borrow.

I just know that they are going to be emerging today and I will be at work - I hope they are ok.