Very Desperate - Caterpillars in Need

[nelsondr]

I know I've posted about this before, and I'm sorry if it seems like too much - I just can't give up!

I am still wondering if anyone is willing to take a bit of time to send off some food. If your cats are in a J or chrysalis, and you're just going to throw away your leftovers, I would LOVE to have it. I think it could be as simple as scopping some into a ziplock (maybe double bagged?) and sending it via a manilla envelope. It may be in the mail a day or so, but something's better than nothing. Even a sample of leaves with wet paper towels wrapped around them, then in a ziplock might work.

I would gladly repay your efforts with an assortment of hand-crafted thank you cards from my "would-be-ever-so-grateful" students, along with a gift card to Panera, Starbucks, etc.

Our cats are still alive, but seem very weak. I have been stirring and at times moistening the ridiculously small amount of food I have left. I have driven miles to forest preserves and open fields, searched road sides and bike paths in search of some pods that haven't yet opened. I found two that are grey and put them in the enclosure. They investigate and one seems to munch a bit but not much luck. I have called zoos, conservatories and greenhouses.

You are all I have left!! I have two cats that are just over 3 cm, and one that is just under 2.5 cm. They have just a bit of growing to do.If anyone thinks they can help, we can maybe exchange emails and then I can give you my school's address. Thanks for considering it!!

[Jim]

We can send more diet out tomorrow and include an invoice for shipping. Please send an email to space@monarchwatch.org with your complete shipping address and the UPS or USPS service you would like us to use.

[nelsondr]

Thanks , Jim, for responding! I'm happy to report that a wonderful stranger (soon to be friend) sent us the miracle we needed - some still green pods she had taken earlier this year from her garden.

[butterflyhaven]

Did you cats get the food they needed? Are they ok?
Jane, Milw. WI

[nelsondr]

Hi Jane! Thanks for asking. I did get some green pods from someone and they are eating them. They are still pretty slow in developing, however. They do not look healthy - still pretty thin and seem a bit weak, but they have been like that from the beginning. I am hopeful that they will make it.

How are yours?

[butterflyhaven]

HI! That is good they are eating at least. Are you going to just feed them necter if they emerge ok? I had a late butterfly in early november and I let her go on a nice warm day. I'm glad I did because it stayed nice until a few days ago. Hopefully she made it. I saw one fly over a parking lot I was in about 2 weeks ago!

[nelsondr]

We officially lost all of our caterpillars, with none making it to the chrysalis stage. Three dies very early on. Then I had the food issue (or lack thereof). When I put some green pods in the three remaining cats seems to devour it. But they eventually stopped eating and died. We've been talking about what factors, other than food which likely played at least some part, may have impacted their lack of development. It has been a good experiment/experience regardless. We've enjoyed watching the cats on the ISS, learning about scientific method in the real world, and checking in/discussing how our hypothesis compared to the actual results as the ISS cats went throught their phases.

Thanks again, Monarch Watch, for this wonderful opportunity!

[Mona Miller]

As far as I know, once you start on the diet you have to continue on the diet.

Next time, label what you have in your frig.

[nelsondr]

I didn't know about 'once you start you have to continue,' but that does make sense! Whatever food was in the habitat I kept stirring and moistening.

Although the container didn't say "larva food," it did say Nelson- do NOT throw away, please! I'm not sure how that got overlooked...

[Mona Miller]

Maybe they didn't take you seriously because the artificial diet looks like something that has spoiled. If there is a next time, label "Monarch Artificial Diet" date it and say "Warning" "Do not trash".

[Jim]

As far as I know, once you start on the diet you have to continue on the diet.

The opposite is generally true: once you start on plants you have to continue on plants; however, we used to transfer caterpillars raised on diet to the 5th instar over to plants all the time to finish them (before we had a diet that could be used throughout the larval development).

There were obviously other factors at play here and we hope to ferret these out to improve the kit for future projects.

[Mona Miller]

I didn't know about 'once you start you have to continue,' but that does make sense! Whatever food was in the habitat I kept stirring and moistening....

Maybe too much moisture?