How to Remove Pupae using Water & Pinning Them Up

[Mona Miller]

How to Remove Pupae using Water and Pinning Monarch Pupae up with Stick Pins.
(Do not stick the pin through the cremaster (black stem) or pupae (green chrysalis because that will harm the butterfly.)

Always pin the sharp side of the stick pin on the outside of the containers. You can put masking tape over that sharp end so that you won't get stuck by the pin.
http://s964.photobucket.com/albums/ae12 ... tterflies/?

[blazing star]

I've had chrysalis fall from its silk. I thought that I was able to somehow pin the cremaster to something and I did, indeed, kill the butterfly. I heard a pop and fluid came out.

[Mona Miller]

If the silk comes off, you may be able to wet the silk area and scrape up the silk. If not, even an old silk pad will work from a butterfly that has already eclosed (emerge). The cremaster has hooks on the end. You can put the silk back on the cremaster. If no silk is available, I've used the cotton from Q-tips. Chrysalis can also be glued. Use a cool glue gun. Put down a drop of glue, let it cool a bit and then stick the top of the cremaster (black stem) into the glue. Be careful, don't get the glue on the pupae/chrysalis. Let this dry and then you can hang that up. A lot of people glue them to paper towel and then they hang up the paper towel.

http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/gluepupae.php

Believe me I've had my share of accidents, too. Live and learn.

[blazing star]

I read somewhere to not touch the chrysalis, or it will end up like a bunch of goo. So I would use a tweezers to try to pick up the chrysalis and the tweezers would damage it. Is this incorrect?

[Mona Miller]

Wait a couple of days until it hardens, then you can pick it up--just don't squeeze it. I can't tell you how many that I have picked up carefully. I even let kids touch them with one finger.

[sbannister]

You can let the pupa stay laying down on a flat surface if it has hardened - and be sure to place it where the butterfly has something to climb up on when he or she comes out. This has worked many times for me. But this applies only in a container or cage where ants or slugs can't get to the pupa. You can't leave them on the ground outside.