Release it! It will be OK. It will find a leaf to take shelter under if it rains. You can see if it will take some sugar water before it goes. Mix 4 parts water to one part sugar. Bring to a boil and let cool. You can soak a paper towel or use one of the plastic scrubbers. If the Monarch doesn't know what to do. Place it on the crumpled paper towel (on a saucer) so the legs touch the sugar water--tasters are in feet! And if it doesn't unroll the proboscis, use a toothpick to gently unroll it so it touches the towel. You are holding it gently but firmly, close to the body while you are doing this. Hope this makes sense. I wrote this out in a hurry as I'm off to practice being a volunteer naturalist.

Update on 3 of my chrysalises! 3 eclosed yesterday after approx 4 weeks - amazing experience and so beautiful! Sad news though that one fell from the spot it was holding onto (it was a little windy) right after eclosing. It was crawling in the soil so I put a stick down and it climbed up and I hung it from a nearby plant with a clothespin. The wings plumped up for awhile but never fully finished. I found it this morning dead. So very sad that it made it thru almost to the end to die. Butterfly raising, although so exciting, can be stressful. I understand why people raise them indoors and then release them!

I also had a cat that began to form it’s chrysalis on a leaf, then fell a short distance and “bled” a bit of its green fluid. I rehung it after it appeared that the chrysalis was sealing back as it hardened. It survived and successfully became a butterfly I released. I also had two other harder falls during the 2021 season that did not survive so I quickly euthanized them. I think the first post asking about the diagonal lines differs from the damaged chrysalis pictures. I had one do that and it’s the butterfly’s antenna forming. The chrysalis is clear. You can begin to see the parts of the little beasties as it gets closer to the time they are to eclose. Start your milkweed seeds SOON, place seeds in the north on soil once cold is there for good (cold, not freeze). Step on them gently to make contact with soil. Nature will cold stratify for you and milkweed will emerge in its season! Throw some in woodlands or ditches near you!

Bird or lizard. Didn't like the taste.