Butterflies and their colors make the world a more beautiful place, don't you think? There is something magical about observing their life cycle; for this reason, seeing them grow from the caterpillar stage is an experiment that is often done in classrooms. You start with the small caterpillars, feed them with lots of leaves, and take care of the chrysalises that they enclose to protect themselves as they transform into butterflies. When young butterflies emerge months later, they need space to spread their wings and learn to fly. Finally, adult butterflies can be set free to enjoy the sun, flowers and fresh air. Read this article to learn how to breed, feed and care for butterflies.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Starting with the Caterpillars
Step 1. Start with the caterpillars
If this is your first time raising small caterpillars, you may want to get a kit to do so. You can order one online and choose from different butterfly species. The kit will contain everything you will need to grow the caterpillars to their metamorphosis into butterflies. If you prefer, however, you can find caterpillars in nature and take care of them, giving them everything they need to make them healthy butterflies. It is a little more complicated, as you will have to find fresh food for them every day, but you will learn a lot about the species native to your area.
- If you want to buy a butterfly kit, get a species that is able to survive in the area you live in once you free them. Do a research to find out which butterfly populations can find sustenance in the area where you live.
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If you want to search for caterpillars on your own, go outside and look around. Look for the following host plants to find different caterpillar species:
Caterpillars / Butterflies species Host plant Monarch Milkweed Papilio troilus Lindera Protographium marcellus Asimina triloba (paw-paw) Papilio polyxenes Dill, fennel and parsley
Step 2. Keep the caterpillars in a 5 liter glass container lined with cheesecloth
This will prevent them from escaping and will also provide them with a safe and well-ventilated environment. You can secure the cheesecloth on the container opening with a rubber string to hold it in place. If you order the kit, it will include a suitable container and a lid that allows air to pass through.
- Do not put more than 2-3 caterpillars in the same container. If they all turn into butterflies, they will need a lot of space when they emerge from the chrysalis.
- The container that houses the caterpillars must be cleaned every day, as they produce a lot of dirt. If you leave it dirty, mold will form, which is bad for the caterpillars. Line the container with toilet paper, which you can easily replace.
- Place sticks in the container so the caterpillars have something to climb on. When changing toilet paper, be very careful not to harm the caterpillars. Wait until they have climbed onto the sticks, then gently lift them up and change the paper. It can be useful to have a second container lined with paper: this way you can simply move them from one to the other.
Step 3. Feed fresh leaves to caterpillars every day
This won't be necessary if you use the kit, which includes caterpillar-specific food. Instead, caterpillars caught in the wild will need fresh leaves every day. Caterpillars are fussy about food and will only eat the leaves of their host plant. Remember what kind of plant you found them on and give them fresh leaves of that plant.
- Caterpillars won't eat old or dry leaves, so it's important to make sure they always have fresh food on hand. You could grow the host plant in pots, so that you always have fresh leaves ready to use.
- Caterpillars get the water they need from the leaves they eat, so you won't need to add water to their container.
- If you're not sure what type of caterpillars you own, consult a guide to figure it out. If you can't figure this out, you need to free the caterpillars because they will die if you give them the wrong food.
Part 2 of 3: Helping the Butterflies Fly
Step 1. Take care of the pupae
A chrysalis is a caterpillar that has transitioned to the pupal stage, during which it undergoes metamorphosis and transforms into a butterfly. Usually the chrysalis are attached to a stick, because the butterfly must be able to cling when it emerges from the chrysalis. During this stage, your job is to keep the environment in the container cozy and moist so that the chrysalis does not dry out. Use a vaporizer to spray water into the container from time to time.
The pupal stage lasts for several months, during which time you won't see much activity; but the rest ensures that the pupa survives and finally emerges. If you catch the caterpillars in the fall, they should emerge from the chrysalis in the spring
Step 2. Make sure the pupae are in a suitable location
If the pupae are not attached to a support or are not hanging from something the butterfly can lean on to get out, you will need to move them to a more suitable location. If the butterflies emerge from the chrysalis too close to the bottom of the container or in too narrow a space where they cannot cling and spread their wings, they will not form properly and will not be able to fly.
- If a chrysalis is on a stick too close to the bottom of the container, you can move the stick to better position it. You can also tape the ends of two sticks with masking tape to make a longer one if needed. The chrysalis should be near the top of the container, hanging from the bottom of the stick.
- If the chrysalis is at the bottom of the container, you need to hang it on a stick. Use a cooled point of hot glue to attach one side of the chrysalis to the stick, which you will then place in a suitable place.
Step 3. Watch the butterfly emerge from the chrysalis
After several months, the pupae will begin to darken or lighten, indicating that it is time for the young butterflies to go out. It only takes a few seconds to get out and start spreading the wings. They will attach to the underside of the stick and slowly move their wings, giving them time to stiffen. Again, if they don't have enough room for this fundamental process, their wings won't fully form and they won't be able to fly.
- When it seems that the butterflies leave the chrysalis, make sure that the environment in the container is cozy and humid.
- If a butterfly falls to the bottom of the container, don't worry! He should be able to climb the pole and find a suitable place to hang himself.
Part 3 of 3: Feeding and Freeing Adult Butterflies
Step 1. Release the butterflies when they start flying
When they begin to hover in the container, it's time! Take the container outdoors and place it close to the host plant. Open the container and let the butterflies free. Appreciate contributing to your local ecosystem by helping the local butterfly population thrive.
Butterflies are more likely to survive if you let them loose than trying to keep them indoors. If it's cold outside or you just want to observe them for a few days, you can keep them for a while. Place them in a very large container with several sticks and feed them with the sugar solution shown in the next step
Step 2. Feed the butterflies with a sugar solution
If you need to feed the butterflies, either because it is too cold to free them or because you want to observe them for a while, you can prepare a sponge dipped in a solution consisting of 1 part sugar and 4 parts water. The butterflies will land on the sugar water and taste it with their little feet.
- Do not put the sugar water in a saucer or a puddle, as the butterflies could get wet and sticky and fly would become very difficult.
- You can also provide them with energy drinks or fruit juice instead of sugar water.
Step 3. Save the sick butterflies
If you see a butterfly that appears to be moving slowly or stumbling, or one with a torn wing, there are a few things you can do to save it! Always remember to touch the butterfly very gently if you try one of these rescue treatments:
- If a butterfly seems weak or hungry, you can save her by helping her eat. Prepare the sugar water and dip a small piece of sponge in it. Gently take the butterfly's wings between your thumb and forefinger, being careful not to over-tighten. Put the butterfly on the sponge. Butterflies feed through a kind of curved proboscis, called spirotromba. If this doesn't unroll, you can help the butterfly extend it towards the food by using a toothpick. When the butterfly feels better, it will fly away.
- If a butterfly has a torn wing, you can secure the wing with a little bit of duct tape to help it heal. Use a clean, very light piece of tape. Hold the butterfly in one hand and put a small piece of tape over the edge of the wing with the other. This will hold the wing together and help the butterfly fly again.
Step 4. Set up a butterfly garden so that you can keep them even as adults
If you want your garden to be a paradise for butterflies, you can grow the plants that host them and other plants that attract them. You can consider growing the following plant species (and various others) for the butterflies to live in good health:
- Milkweed
- Dill
- Fennel
- Parsley
- Monarda
- Mint
- Lavender
- Lilac
- Privet
- Sage
- Zinnia
Advice
- Recipe for nectar: take a saucepan and mix 1 part of sugar and 4 parts of water. boil the solution and let it cool.
- Some butterflies eat fruit. Try to identify yours and find out what they eat.
- Don't let the fruit get moldy! If they don't eat it all, take it off and put more or it will start to stink.
Warnings
- The wings of butterflies and moths are very fragile, so be very careful when touching them.
- Do not pierce the lid of the container in which you keep the caterpillars: you could harm them. Instead, use cheesecloth to cover the container.
