Caterpillar To Butterfly

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Grow Wings! (Part 2)

Last week we talked about how to raise monarch butterflies from egg to caterpillar.

Those tiny caterpillars grow fast, and by their 4th or 5th stage of growth they aren't so tiny anymore. At that point, they should be moved into an emergence cage. Like all teenagers, they're big, clumsy, and very, very hungry.

Feeding Your Caterpillars

At this age they'll eat milkweed as fast as you can cut it, which is why having access to an abundant supply of milkweed is critical. If you aren't sure whether or not what you have available is milkweed, feel free to send us a picture for identification.

If your garden space is limited, try asking permission at local business parks or farms to gather milkweed. It's very common in empty lots and roadside ditches. Just make certain that your milkweed hasn't been sprayed or crop dusted with insecticides or herbicides, and remove (read: squish) any aphids on the leaves before you give them to your caterpillars.

As a side note, get rid of any aphids you see on your milkweed as soon as you spot them. They can be removed by hand, or sprayed with a high-powered jet of water. The orange aphids that we see most often in this area on milkweed are an invasive species called Oleander Aphid, and milkweed that is infested with these aphids appears to be less attractive to egg-laying monarchs.

Common milkweed and butterfly milkweed have worked best for the caterpillars we hand raise on site. You can cut a branch of either one and put the cut end into a small, heavy vase. If the opening isn't completely filled by stems, secure a piece of cling film over the top of the vase and poke the stems through it, so there's no chance that the caterpillars can fall into the water and drown. (Remember, the teenagers are clumsy!)

A florist's "water pick" will also work. (Click for video)

The more eating they do, the more they poop, and you'll need to have a plan in place to clean out the bottom of your emergence cage on a regular basis, whether that means lifting the top off and brushing the bottom off over a trash can, or removing everything and vacuuming it out periodically.

At some point your caterpillars will (hopefully) crawl up the sides of the enclosure you've provided for them and go into what's called a "J hang" posture on the ceiling, which means that they're about to transform themselves into a chrysalis.

As we mentioned in the last newsletter, they're escape artists! Make sure that your enclosure hasn't got any openings that they can crawl out of, especially if you used tulle fabric to make it. If you need ideas for building an emergence cage, you'll find some instructions here.

Leave the caterpillars undisturbed during this period, even if they've chosen an inconvenient place to hang.

In theory, once they reach the chrysalis stage, all you have to do is wait. (See the "Troubleshooting" section below in case things don't go according to plan.)

A monarch will emerge 8-15 days later. It's wings will look small and shriveled at first. Give it time to dry out and inflate them, and then gently pick the butterfly up and release it outside near a source of nectar.

Keep a shallow dish of water in your butterfly cage in case your new butterflies need it. This dish should be kept away from feeding caterpillars (they will drown if they fall into water,) and filled with marbles or stones to give the butterflies a place to stand while they drink, as well as to make accidents less likely.

If it's raining or colder than 60°F, wait to release your butterflies until conditions improve. They can stay in the cage for up to 24 hours without harm.

Troubleshooting

My caterpillar/chrysalis doesn't look normal.
This is an example of a parasitized chrysalis, courtesy of the Central Illinois Monarch Butterfly Taskforce. While it's sad to see this happen, remember that only 10% of eggs laid survive to adulthood in the wild, but you can greatly increase their chances of survival by hand raising them. This season we've seen no disease or parasitism at all in the caterpillars that we've raised at Hoerr Nursery, and last season we had only one caterpillar die.

If you have doubts about the health of a caterpillar or chrysalis, it's best to isolate them and keep an eye on them. You should also remove any plant material that they've been feeding on. If one of your isolated monarchs dies, dispose of it in a sealed plastic bag, and sanitize the area you were keeping it in.

I need to move a chrysalis!
There are a few circumstances when you might need to relocate a chrysalis. First, if the caterpillar has transformed on a plant leaf inside of your enclosure, it's at risk of getting its leaf munched by another caterpillar (or getting itself munched, unfortunately!)

If the chrysalis is less than 48 hours old, assume that it's a "soft" chrysalis. Isolate it as well as you can, but otherwise, disturb it as little as possible. If it's fallen to the floor of the enclosure, you can put a piece of paper next to it and gently nudge it onto the paper using another piece of paper or a broad leaf. Set the paper in a safe spot to allow the chrysalis to harden.

If the chrysalis is more than 48 hours old, it's okay to handle it gently. Using a pin or similar object, work the silk pad loose from whatever it's attached to. Wind it around a loop of thread, dental floss or string, and secure it with a drop of superglue or tacky glue. (Careful not to get any on the chrysalis!) Once it's dry, hang the chrysalis in a safe place to finish pupating. Make sure that it has 4" of clearance in all directions.

Got Questions?

You can reply to this email, or contact the Central Illinois Monarch Butterfly Taskforce.

Raising butterflies is fun, but it's also awe inspiring. Right now the monarch population is peaking, and the "Methuselah generation" that makes the long journey back to Mexico to overwinter is being born!

After reading these tutorials over the past few weeks, we hope that you'll consider creating a butterfly garden of your own, and if you're up for a real adventure, raising butterflies for yourself. 🦋

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