what's wrong with my monarch?

[jen]

My first monarch of the season emerged this morning, but I was still asleep! When I came down, I was very excited to see it, sitting at the bottom of the cage. It pumped it's wings, hopped around a bit, but something is wrong with it. It won't FLY! I set it out in the sun, after about six hours, it still just sat there at the bottom. I picked it up a few times, setting it back down gently, the only thing I see as strange is that it seems to "sit" on it's wings (almost as if it's legs can't support it's body. Could it be paralyzed? It's still sitting in the cage, with the lid off, I don't know what to do with it. I feel so sorry for it. Also, his probiscus is not extended. I read somewhere that you can gently pull this out with a pin. Has anyone tried this? Can someone please give me some advice on what I should do? I am so sad that he can't seem to fly .Thanks,
Jen

[Gwynne]

I can not help, but I have had a whole bunch of deformed monarchs myself. First I had a batch turn brown and Scott and another man helped me figure out it was a tachinid fly that got them. I had to remove them and the three remaining ones in the aquarium got jostled. They emerged deformed. I was there to see two of them emerged and tried my best to get them to hang onto the screen. One managed for an hour and one couldnt at all. I gave up in frustration and went out. When I got back, the third one had emerged and had climbed up to the roof. The chrysalis had fallen off the day before so she had to climb to the screen on top but she managed! The only problem is she hadnt been able to shed her entire chrysalis and never got to spread her wings to dry so she is deformed as well. She has spirit though. Today I was expecting two to emerge. I came home at lunch time to check on them. I found a beautiful girl and a horribly deformed butterfly. This one was the worse of all. They must have both fallen but the one climbed up the paper towel and was hanging on to that. I think she will be ready to fly off in the morning. I put the deformed one in the aquarium with the others. I have lost six chrysalises to a tachinid fly, had another one turn partly brown, had another one turn a light brown all over and had 4 deformed monarchs, all since last week. Only one seems normal! I cant advise you but I am sorry this happened with your first one of the season.

[Farfalla]

Hi Jenn,
Sorry about your butterfly.Did he/she have a place to climb after falling to the bottom? Or was the poor thing just too weak?After emergence they usually hang on to their chrysalis cases to pump their wings..but sometimes they fall. And if they can not climb back up to enflate their their wings..they can be deformed.
Monarchs do not eat until about 24 hours after emergence,so if you have a cage or enclosure to keep it in you can wait and then try to offer it food after 24 hours. You can use a warm piece of watermellon, gatorade or a butterfly bush flower.
I know that some people mix up sugar water,too..but I do not know the ratio.Hopefully it will be able to fly after time. But if not you can care for it in an enclosed environment. Keep us posted!

[Farfalla]

Wow Gwynne,
Sorry about all that happened to your butterflies.

[Gwynne]

This last week has been a disaster! I had to throw away 8 chrysalises and the only four butterfiles to emerge were deformed. Well, there was the fifth that was hanging onto the paper towel and I tried to let her go this morning but she couldnt fly. I only had 20 minutes before work so I put her in the aquarium with all the deformed butterflies and will try to release her tonight. I had to move her out of the hermit crab cage because two look ready to emerge today.

The nice gentleman from livemonarch.com told me to get some watermelon for the butterflies in the aquarium. He also mentioned I could try cutting their wings if they were hindering them to give them more mobility, but I am afraid to try that!

Farfalla, I am sorry to here you are having problems with your caterpillars. I can get most of mine to the chrysalis stage before they get all funny on me.

[jen]

Thanks guys for all your sympathies, I realize that the butterfly did not have any thing to climb up on in the cage. He must have fallen, and by the time I got up and came down, his wings must have already suffered damage. I thought by his just pumping his wings on the bottom of the tank, he'd be fine. All my monarchs in the past have pupated inside a mesh enclosure, but my son found a moth caterpillar who was occupying the mesh cage! Oh well, live and learn.Thanks again,
Jen

[Farfalla]

My cats are all fine,Gwynne.
I had 10 eggs that had wasps in them. And two cats that died of unknown causes( expelling green liquid..walking away from ltheir eaves then expiring)...but all the others are fine. So far, anyway!

I have released a total of 22 butterflies so far this year..with 17 cats to go. I really have NO more room at all...but I saw a female ovipostiting in my garden today and I just could not help myself! So add 5 eggs to the family.

Jenn.. keep us posted on your butterfly.

[Gwynne]

That is a shame about the wasps. And I lost six chrysalises to a tachinid fly and two to unknown causes. I have four deformed butterflies in an aquarium. It was suggested that I feel them watermelon.

I tried releasing the girl that emerged yesterday but she didnt want to go anywhere. I sort of had the feeling there would be a problem. I had to go to work so I figured I would try tonight.

Two more emerged today. I tried to release the girl from yesterday again. I spent half an hour tossing her up in the air. Someone once mentioning doing that and the butterfly finally flew away. Sometimes she would coast for a little bit, other times she woud fall to the ground. The last time I threw here in the air, she either landed in a tree or on the ground but I couldnt find her.

I tried to release the girl and the boy who emerged today but they didnt seem ready to go. I hope they are ready tomorrow morning. My track record is not to good here!