Too close for comfort!!????

[Farfalla]

I have four cats that have walked off to J hook at the top of the screen enclosure. Previous groups of cats have all found "neutral corners".... but not this crew! With all of the room they have ..they have decided to plant themselves right next to each other.
Each pair has one in a J and the other on a mat of silk RIGHT next to it's neighbor! How can they possibly form their chrysalides like this?

[psi_chemie]

The only problem I see is if they emerge at the same time and crawl on each other before their wings harden..

[Gwynne]

Mine consistantly do that. I cant understand why when they have a whole screen to pupate on they congretate together. It has happened with every group I have had except I did have two together in one place and they pupated several inches apart.

I thought maybe this was caused by being raised in captivity. Now I am wondering if it might have something to do with it being easier to pupate where there is already silk. Dont have to expend as much effort?

I have four in one corner and I can see two are going to emerge tomorrow.

[jen]

four of mine did this, too! because they pupated several days apart, my only worry is that when they emerge, they'll be flapping against the other chrysalisses! They are literally withing 1/2 inch of each other. I guess I just need to wait and see how much room they have when the emerge.

[Farfalla]

Good point Gwynne..Maybe they also feel there is safety in numbers?
You have to wonder what makes them do it. This morning there were four more added to the "cluster" I have the same concern you do,jenn!
Guess we will just have to wait and see!

[monarchmama]

All the years I have raised monarch (35+) it has been quite common for them to gather in clusters like this. My theory is the same as Gwynne's, that it is so much quicker and easier for them to make their silk buttons where there is already a nice layer of silk already laid down.

At any rate I have never had problems with them being in each others way when they emerge, and the chrysalid are most often hooked pretty securely to the silk and can take any gentle jostling around that an emerging butterfly might make.

At the nature center where we are raising them for a tagging demonstration this coming Saturday, they are lined up along the edges of the raising cage all in a row with barely a half inch between each of them. It will be awesome to see them come out as at least sixty of them went into chrysalis within days of each other. I will let you know how it goes.

[F3]

I can tell you from experience: if they're touching, whichever chrysalis forms last may end up with a big dent. I was lucky and moved one that did this before it had hardened.

(Note: This aquarium is not what I use to rear caterpillars. I use it to contain wandering 5th instars that are ready to pupate.)

[Gwynne]

Wow, what a sight! You are saying one might get a dent when he does his dance and hits another one?

I had one that had a big ding, but the funny thing is, he was the only one to pupate in a corner while the others pupated close to each other.

I notice you have a caterpillar in there with the chrysalises, unless I am seeing things. I, too, have a caterpillar, a black swallowtail, molting between chrysalises!

[F3]

The caterpillar won't have any trouble actually molting, its after it molts that it will literally harden around the chrysalis next to it.

That's actually a Black Swallowtail chrysalis, funny you should mention that.

[Gwynne]

That's actually a Black Swallowtail chrysalis, funny you should mention that.

Not that funny that I noticed it:) I am trying to raise some black swallowtails myself and at this moment have one at the top amoung all my monarch chrysalises as well.

[Farfalla]

Good to know...thanks F3!
I just don't get why the heck they would CHOOSE to be next to each other. I have 7 in a pretty sizable enclosure. You would think they would try to find a place to be alone

[Farfalla]

Well..no dents ..no dings. They are all lined up like soldiers. It must be true then..that it is easier for them to use each others silk. Glad to know that everyone else has experienced this,too. I am hoping all goes well. Thanks, all!

[Pat]

You could try rotating the cages (or just the lids) now and then and see what happens. I sometimes get a gaggle J'd up on one side of the box lid; if I spin the box around to face the opposite direction, the group that goes up the next day will often ignore the first group and start a new cluster around the unused side of the lid. The table we keep the boxes on is out of the direct sunlight, but the ones I occasionally bring indoors when the weather gets bad don't seem to hang themselves in clusters, so maybe the sun has something to do with it anyway.