Heading for the finish line

[windrider]

Last night I had a few caterpillars that wouldn't stay still so I had to keep them herded up on the plants I had brought in for them. I ended up losing one, searched high and low but had no idea where he went.

Then around 10pm last night, I saw several had tied off and were forming J's and as of this morning, I had 10 that had J'd. I took the leaves off the plants and transferred them to a 10 gallon fish tank where I'll let them finish pupating...



then I found the one guy I couldn't find...I looked at an old plastic tote on the bottom shelf of the tank stand I was using ...



and sure enough....




As of just an hour ago the last one had finished forming the chrysalis, so tomorrow, I'll move the guy on the tote.

But this makes 11 in pupation...considering that the last 2 years I saw 2 monarchs go to adult, I'm really @#$#@$@ excited...and I have about 20 more larva

[Mona Miller]

I would recommend, but this may not be easy that you put a double layer of papertowel on the bottom of the fish tank. If the pupae fall during pupation, then they will have a bit of a soft landing. Also, during eclosing/emerging if they fall they will need something to crawl up. The walls of the fish tank (glass) will not allow them to climb to inflate their wings if they fall. Pupa/butterflies do fall, but not too often.

[David Calhoun]

Mona,is regular typing paper, taped or glued to the sides of the aquarium rough enough for them to get a grip on? (For climbing up if the butterfly falls.) David

[Mona Miller]

I don't think typing paper would work. I've used tulle (bridal netting) and paper towel (more of a rough surface). I've never tried typing paper.

Tulle probably would be better since it would let the light through.

[windrider]

Thanks for the advice, Mona...didn't even think of them falling...

[Mona Miller]

It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does it makes me feel so bad. Broken or flat pupae and adults with crumpled wings.

[cmason]

I've had many catapillars and chrysalis die all of a sudden. The cats are in various stages and the same for the chrysalis. (They'll start forming a J and then die.) Beginning of the summer I had none of these problems.
Chris Mason
Lake Geneva, WI

[Mona Miller]

This can happen with OE and it could also be fly predation. Check containers for fly pupae.

[NickiM]

I bought a large mesh laundry bag for a $1.47 and cut it up for my butterflies to climb up on. I bought a large plastic storage bin for them to eclose in. I put a couple of flower pots with mulch in the bottom of the bin with sticks to the top to hold up the mesh. I draped the mesh over the flower pots and up the sides of the bin, so they have a "trampoline" to fall on if they do fall. I put a little tape on the silk and then safety pin through the tape to the top of the mesh. They also had a collapsible mesh hamper that would work well also for just about $5.

[Mona Miller]

Let us know how your set up works. It sounds very interesting.