Sick Caterpillar

[Jeans]

I'm raising monarchs and one of my caterpillars (Bitzy) is shrinking! She used to be bigger than my other one (Kitzy), and Kitzy is already in a cocoon, but Bitzy is back to less than half the size she was before, and she isn't eating, even the freshest leaves. I've raised caterpillars for years and this has never happened before. Does anyone know how to help Bitzy?
Also there's a black stripe on Kitzy's cocoon and I'm not sure what that is.

[Mona Miller]

Unfortunately, it sounds like both your chrysalis (butterflies make these and moths make cocoons) are either diseased or parasitized (flies or wasp use them as hosts). The best thing to do when a caterpillar is not acting right is to isolate them from other caterpillars. They can share diseases. The same thing goes for pupae. If they don't look normal isolate them. I try to take the wait and see approach. Let's wait and see how they fare and then if they don't, freeze them. That will kill them in a way that is merciful.

[Jeans]

thanks,
I think you were right about them being diseased . I insolated Bitzy, I give her new leaves and she crawls on them and it looks like she's looking or sniffing
for something on the leaf-but she still isn't eating or pooping.
The chrysalis is lumpy and with that stripe, but I can see wings inside.
also, there's a healthy chrysalis in with the maybe diseased one, is that ok?
Is there anything I can do to prevent disease in the future?

[Mona Miller]

If you have been raising them for a while, you know that they will take up to 24 hours to shed their skin. That can account for a caterpillar being still, but this does sound like that, but give it some time.

If you have a chrysalis that doesn't look good with a chrysalis that does, remove it. You can do that by spraying it with water, wait 10 seconds and carefully take a stick pin and lift the silk. Either tie or pin it in a new location through the silk above the cremaster.

http://www.monarchparasites.org/
Click on rearing and it will tell you how to clean your containers, which is imperative between each brood. Rinse thoroughly. Caution: Wear gloves and face mask when using strong bleach solutions.

[Jeans]

Bitzy didn't make it (poor thing) but the healthy chrysalis did it's a girl! I let her go today , it's sunny out and there was two other monarchs fluttering around out there.
also the lumpy strippy chrysalis is starting to look transparent, so maaaybe he or she will be alright
If she comes out with deformed wings, I heard your supposed to glue on wings of a dead butterfly, but I don't have a dead butterfly, could I just use laminated paper...maybe.
I hope she/he comes out fine though.
thanks

[Mona Miller]

I don't think laminated paper would work. It is probably too heavy.

[Jeans]

Kitzy came out of her chrysalis today, her wings are fine, but her long tongue thing isn't curling up right and she isn't using one of her legs. Other than that she's okay. so as long as she can eat with her tongue, she might be okay ...

[Mona Miller]

She has to be able to join the two sides. This is done when they are inflating their wings. Then the straw like proboscis is used to nectar.

[Jeans]

she's okay!
she's on her way to mexico
thanks for your help!