Fallen chrysalis

[blazing star]

Two problems in one day. Now I have a fallen chrysalis. I searched around and saw that I'd be able to pin the chrysalis to the top of the cage (I have a screen on the top of my cage). I took a tweezers and tried to get a pin through the black thing to hand it and I think I broke it because I heard a pop and now fluid is oozing from it. Can I just leave the chrysalis laying flat on paper towels or what other methods may I use to hang it? I'm afraid to touch it with my hands due to potential damage I fear.

[Mona Miller]

I usually put them on to wax paper because the paper towel is too absorbent. At this point, just roll it on to the wax paper, then turn it so it won't get lopsided. Sounds like it doesn't have hooks at the end of the cremaster any more; otherwise, I would have suggested tying some dental floss to the end to hang it up.

You can also take a cotton ball and use a bit of cotton, but you need the hooks to do that. You can then stick the stick pin through the cotton. I'm afraid you can't stick a stick pin through the cremaster. It is like a hard stick.

They can emerge from a laying down position, but do need some sturdy to crawl across. After it has dried, you can put it back on the paper towel. I use net containers so that they can climb up to dry their wings.

[blazing star]

Mona,

I found a website on the internet that I can put it on soft tissue paper. Is this not good? I don't have any wax paper. Also, do I have to roll it over, once in a while, so that it doesn't flatten on one side?

[Mona Miller]

Yes rolling it over will keep it from flattening on one side. The soft tissue should work.

[blazing star]

Oh, boy. This is an experiment I don't like. We'll see how this goes. Thanks, Mona!

[Mom2RJA]

I often move chrysalises using the method here:

http://www.monarchwatch.org/rear/index.htm

I have also had to put a drop of glue on when there was not enough silk to hold the thread (as it says you can do here), and those butterflies emerged just fine. I would think that would be better than leaving it lying flat. Good luck!

[Mona Miller]

What the Monarch Watch website doesn't tell you is that if you spray the silk and top of the pupae with water that it comes off very easily. I found this out when I was removing some chrysalis from my screen tent top early in the morning. The tent top was dew soaked. I also read about spraying the chrysalis with water to loosen it in Dr. Fred Urquhart's book on Monarchs.

As long as the butterfly has something to crawl up to inflate its wings, it can be left laying down. I use net containers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtDbSBnUy7Y
Here's a video I made of a pupa emerging from laying down position. Matter-of-fact the pupae were laying down for most of their development. I removed them from my tent and brought them inside. The tent is way too hot to leave pupae hanging there until they emerge.

[Mom2RJA]

Yes, Mona. I just came across the water tip on this forum last night. I moved four chrysalises today and the water made it much easier. I didn't spray them--I just dipped my finger in water and rubbed it on the silk around each chrysalis. They peeled right off.

[blazing star]

My fallen chrysalis appears to have died. It's all black. I'm leaving it in place in case I'm wrong.

That's interesting that water acts as a lubricant to remove the chrysalis. I wonder how rain affects the chrysalis and how it stays put with such moisture?

[Mona Miller]

Most of the time they form their chrysalis under a bit of shelter. Rain doesn't seem to bother the chrysalis that much. I guess it take someone pulling it to loosen the silk. I remember someone telling the group that after a hurricane in the LA area that they went home and found a chrysalis still attached to a hose near the spigot.