Bursting with Butterflies!

Category: Garden Wildlife | Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:14 pm

Over the weekend I had my queen and a monarch emerge!

This is a queen on my Empire Blue butterfly bush....

I always seem to catch them immediately after they emerge..they must be doing it at the crack of dawn!

Here is what the queen looked like...BEFORE:

If you notice, you can actually see the butterfly inside the chrysalis. The chrysalis turns from apple green to black...when you look closely you can see the markings on the butterfly inside. The chrysalis looks milky here because of the camera flash. This is the actual color but it appears black in normal lighting.

Today I had THREE monarchs emerge. I always gently remove them from the "cage" and place them on a nectar plant outside so they can get some refreshment after their wings dry. Here is a picture of two of the three:

This morning I had three more monarchs pupate and I have 5 more getting ready to, they are starting to hang upside down. I've got so many monarch cats outside that I have started bringing them in only when they get close (they are huge and spend less time eating).

I've also got three gulf frit cats growing, they don't seem to grow quite as fast as the monarchs, but one is about a week away I think.

So as you can see, these little guys are keeping me busy.

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cajunbelle wrote on Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:39 pm:

That's amazing, they are so pretty.

eileen wrote on Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:50 pm:

Your butterflies always make me think of new stained glass windows. Isn't Mother Nature the best?!! It still amazes me how caterpillars turn into such lovely insects as butterflies.

Frank wrote on Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:47 pm:

You sure love your butterflies HB. It's infectious :D Thainks for the updates, the photos are always great.

// Frank

Netty wrote on Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:00 am:

What fun! I keep wanting to bring in a Monarch caterpillar but they are always gone when I go to get them. I'm waiting just a little too long I guess.
Your pictures are great too!

CritterPainter wrote on Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:27 am:

You must have a very gentle touch, to help out butterflies! I'd be afraid to squish them when they are newly-emerged! Really beautiful shots you caught.

hummingbird3172 wrote on Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:49 pm:

Thanks for all the kind words!

Netty, if you get them when they are about 2 inches long they are usually about to change. They leave the milkweed plants and find a quite place to pupate...I've not yet been able to find one in nature.

CritterPainter, I just put my hand in front of them--near their legs and they step onto my hand. I've always wondered if they remember me from their caterpillar days. Then I transfer them to a bush outside, once they are done pumping up and drying they fly away. These three kept leaving the yard but then coming back to show off their new flying abilities.