My daughters got a butterfly net (one to let them turn from caterpillars to chrysalis' to butterflies) for Christmas. We went to a local nursery where they have a butterfly sanctuary 8 days ago. We bought a Zebra Longwing caterpillar and then the owner gave us a milk weed plant with two tiny monarch caterpillars on it, since he said that my daughters reminded him of his daughters when they were little.

The Zebra Longwing was already a large caterpillar and formed into a chrysalis the first night. They go up to the top, spin and thin string, hang from it and basically turn themselves inside out. That one is still a chrysalis and will probably hatch into a butterfly in 5-7 days.

Here is what the chrysalis looks like:


The two Monarch caterpillars were smaller and the bigger one just formed into a chrysalis on Saturday evening. The second one has attached himself to the top this evening. I was looking at them and noticed a green string coming from the first Monarch. A few minutes later there was a worm-like creature hanging from the end. I then noticed a crack in the chrysalis. I searched online and found the following question and answer:

"Question:
We have a fifth chrysalis that has not changed very much. There is a very fine white looking "string" hanging down from the chrysalis and it has been there since the caterpillar first became a chrysalis. What does that mean and has the butterfly died inside?

Answer:
This monarch has probably been parasitized by a tachinid fly. You can read more about this parasitoid on our website - go to the monarch research tab, and then click on research topics, and then parasites and natural enemies. There is a section on parasitoids that describes this fly. The white string is made by the fly larva when it emerges from the monarch larva or chrysalis. They always kill the monarch."

Here is what the tachinid fly looks like:


My girls were upset but my older one thought it was cool that she could tell her 1st grade teacher about the ugly fly that would have formed from the maggot. I squished the maggot and removed the chrysalis from the net.

Here is what the chrysalis looks like.


My youngest daughter wanted the whole thing out of the house when I told her that the maggot was going to turn into an ugly fly. In the end it was a very interesting evening in our household. Life is never boring with kids in the house.

 

Reminds me of Men in Black......

 

Our trucks don't make for a good butterfly net.

 

Oh yuck! Did I ever mention I hate bugs?

 

Wow, i would hate to clean that.... it would take for ever!!!

 

Yes, it did take forever.....them little critters where everywhere. Those were taken this past July and I'll still find "pieces" wedged somewhere in the engine compartment. Also being that it was the during the hot Texas summer and I was on vacation, by the time I got back they were baked on.

:o

 

lmao thats great

 

Wow. You, sir, are one that I would've turned away from my detailing side-biz. Butterfly killer.

Very interesting story about the Chrysalis and such. I can see how that would be traumatic to a little one but, they'll soon understand...

 

:o

I would've paid any amount just so I didn't have to do it myself.

 

Very interesting, yucky but interesting.

Budha, dryer sheets work great to take off baked on bugs!