Bettyfb, I had 3 green and 1 brown chrysalis. Thought the brown one might overwinter but he emerged just fine on Monday. I also had 2 pupate low on the sticks and 1 fell off. Once they come out of the chrysalis you'd be surprised how quickly they scramble up the stick to get to the mesh to fill out their wings with body fluid, then dry out a bit and finally get to fluttering and taking test flights! I had the luxury the day first 2 emerged to help the little downed one out of the chrysalis as he'd fallen a second time. I just gently held the chrysalis on its side since he was on his back and didn't want the wings to get damaged at emergence. Doesn't seem like you have the luxury of much time to sit there for an hour or more to watch for signs of eclosure movement! "He" turned out to be the only female of the four and she was just gorgeous. Sat on my hand for a couple minutes before flitting off to rest on a large Zinnia leaf to warm up and then flew off. What an experience. Someone snapped a few photos when they eclosed and the release. I cherish the one of the female in all her magnificently colored beauty sitting on my hand. Those little BST guys very rarely climbed off the fennel plants I had in pots until they'd eaten them down to nubs. When they climbed down the paper towels I had covering planters I'd just get them onto another frond and they go right back on plant. When plants were bare I had to change to the cut fennel stems and finally cut stems of parsley standing in covered containers to feed them. Kept the containers covered with stocking or fine mesh screen so they wouldn't fall in water. Next time will get small necked vases from Walmart to put loose food stems in as that seems easier. I've got one Monarch cat inside now but I still miss my little BSTs. Kept the used fennel plants in pots which are regrowing fronds and some still in garden so I might get lucky again this year for more BSTs. Your photo of that little BST guy shows the size mine were when I found them and brings back fond memories...and a little pang of missing them. It got unseasonably hot here for a while but I always covered top of their enclosure with breathable cover when direct sun could shine on them and covered top of enclosure with blue utility tarp to protect them from any rain. Didn't wrap covers all the way around since wanted to let them have some air flow. Since enclosure was on deck under first floor overhang they were pretty protected to start with. I know from having been in Houston years ago our "hot" and sunlight intensity isn't anything compared to yours, though! As long as they were sitting on a loaded fennel plant they were happy to just nibble and nibble down the fronds. They are so beautiful when they fly off to their new lives out in the world. It's just a beautiful thing all the way around. You've got your hands full with the kids and raising all these little guys! The children are lucky to have such a caring, sensitive soul watching over them. Mechelle, you reminded me that I have some florist foam in a closet left over from some silk flower arrangements I put together for various holidays a couple years back. I'm not very good at estimating what I need for these little "projects" so I always have leftovers...LOL. Think I'll start using them to secure wooden shish kabob skewers I got to use in enclosures. My little Monarch cat seems happier now that I've started skewering folded milkweed leaves to put in the container. It seems silly but he's not acting so skittish and seems calmer when he can meander under and over folded milkweed leaves stacked on the skewer instead of just lying on bottom paper towel. All I know is he's eating a LOT more now, is filling out nicely and is visibly longer but as he gets bigger having the skewer more stable stuck in the floral foam would make me feel better. Congrats on your Queen cats! Life just seems better in some way when I'm caring for these little guys looking forward to them reaching all their glorious butterfly promise.

Betty, Don't worry about moving the silly caterpillar that pupated so low. :) The butterfly will crawl UP in order to stretch and harden its wings. IF you want to move the stick to a different location, you can always do that, though. Your choice! Know that many butterfly babies die in their 1st and 2nd instars. This is very common. Keep in mind also that swallowtails tend to be more cannibalistic than some of the other species. I've found, from my own experience, that by making a 'salad' of host plant foods, my larvae do better than when I feed only one specific food. I currently am raising Anise Swallowtails, which are similar to the Black Swallowtails here on the West Coast, and I also provide a 'salad' of Curled Parsley and Dill right now to begin with. I've also found that by doing this, IF you find later on that you are short of a particular host plant, then your babies won't go on a hunger strike but are happy eating whatever you do provide because they've eaten it before! It also SEEMS like the larvae were healthier on the 'salad' than on a single-host diet, but I don't know for sure... Have fun! tdogmom aka CalSherry

I usually keep my overwintering chrysalids in my unheated guest room, which stays cool all winter long, but it never actually freezes in there or gets real cold. I plan on keeping my big moth cocoons in one of my cages (which has a fine mesh covering over it) on the porch, though, so they can experience the same weather conditions as the wild moths, in case there are some out there - I haven't seen any since the hurricane, but if there are any out there, they'd be few in number, and I want my lunas, prometheas, and one regal moth to be able to mate with any wildlings that may exist. I may or may not leave my butterfly chrysalids outside in the same setup - I probably will, just bring them in if we have a big freeze, which is unlikely. I don't think the brown stick caused your last chrysalids to be brown - I've gotten both green and brown chrysalids on my black cages, and both colors on green branches - I've found that the brown chrysalids, which are more numerous than the green ones, are variable as to whether they emerge immediately or overwinter - some overwinter and some emerge right away. The green ones always emerge right away, at least here they do. I don't know whether it's better in Zone6 to keep them outside, protected from predators or in an unheated room in your house - maybe somebody else will have the answer. MissSherry

It actually can hurt if some wasps come out of it. No butterfly is coming out of there but if you really don't want to give up on it, I'd put it in a container that will hold any other insects that come out of the chrysalis. Wasps are a long shot. Flies would be more likely but nothing is probably the most likely. KC