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Butterfly Garden

Crazy season

16 years ago

We just got over having a few days of COLD weather with a low of 26 one day and a high of 43. Now its high 70's, low 80's. I have been watching the overwintering chrysalis (one Giant Swallowtail and several Spicebush). It appeared that the coloring on the Giant was changing but when I got home today, it was one of the Spicebush (female) that had emerged! Since it is such nice weather, I released her and wished her well.

I had brought in several Monarchs during the cold spell. They are now getting bigger and look healthy. The last few that started hanging never made their chrysalis. Don't know if the cold weather stopped them but they just turned to mush.

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Comments (10)

MissSherry
16 years ago
I've had the same kind of crazy weather here, Mary. One night last week it got down to 19F degrees, and yesterday and today it's been humid and in the upper 70's. I'm hoping none of my chrysalids or cocoons emerge - the room they're in is still pretty cool, with the door and windows closed. My biggest gulf frit went into the "J" and only completed the pupation about 1/4 of the way, then dropped dead to the kitchen floor - sad!
I'm looking forward to spring - shouldn't be long!
MissSherry
tdr4
16 years ago
I only have 2 chrysalis(one GF and one Giant swallowtail). They are in my garage. I keep it open for the birds. I only have 2 sulpher cats and one is in the "J" position now. The other is still small. I guess he was an egg on the small plant that I brought in.
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nancy86
16 years ago
It sure is a crazy season! I've got fifteen chrysalis (all Monarchs) inside and four outside. If we get another blast of Canadian air, I imagine the ones outside won't survive. I too had a casualty like Miss Sherry. I checked my terrarium one morning, and a chrysalis had fallen off the lid and broken open on the bottom. Poor thing. I don't know why it happened.
MissSherry
16 years ago
After a lot of rain, a cold front has passed through here. It got down into the upper 40's last night, and it's supposed to get into the 30's (no freeze, I don't think) every night for about a week - winter's back!
MissSherry
mboston_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
We are to get rain either today or tomorrow, kinda cloudy now. Then the temp is supposed to drop about 5 degrees below normal. (What's normal? We were in the mid 80's yesterday!)

Most of my Monarchs that I brought in for the last cold spell diasppeared. I haven't found their chrysalis but did find two dead ones in about the 4th instar. I might just have to pitch my Silky gold Milkweed and start over. hate too cause that's my favorite.
MissSherry
16 years ago
It was supposed to get down to 36F degrees last night, but it didn't get quite that cold. I left the gulf frit cats outside last night - the temps we're predicted to have aren't low enough to kill the passis they're eating, and I need to keep them from eating and pupating too fast - the only way I've been able to successfully overwinter them is as cats which pupate when the weather gets warmer.
MissSherry
MissSherry
16 years ago
It's snowing in central Mississippi! It's been raining since last night in south MS, but the snow area dipped down to Hattiesburg briefly - WOW!
MissSherry
mboston_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
Its been cloudy and drizzly here the last two days, not that cold though. I have had two more Spicebush emerge -one male on Wed. and a female today. They had been in chrysalis since late Oct. - early Nov.
MissSherry
16 years ago
Uh-oh - that's not good, Mary. I hope they manage!
MissSherry
tdogmom
16 years ago
WELL, I thought I was done with raising Monarchs, right? HA! Yesterday I collected six 2nd instars, five 3rd instars, and four 4th instars (is that weird or what?) and then today I found four 2nd instars and one 3rd instar! Sheesh! My poor Milkweed...tee-hee! Hey, no worries, right? Now, how was it that I realized there were stilllarvae out there? I went to get some leaves for the TWO, yes, TWO cats that I had left when the little leaf bunch I'd collected and brought in turned out to have a *gasp* 2nd instar caterpillar munching away. I tell you, this has been the strangest past year for me with the Monarchs EVER. I guess I am making up for the year that I was busy with Tifanny's cancer. ;P

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