Getting Ready for Butterflies

The care and feeding for all for stages of the painted lady’s life cycle-egg, larva, pupa, and adult-is relatively simple. Maintain larvae and cups with Painted Lady Culture Medium in an area where they receive indirect light or room light. Keep them out of direct sunlight because it can overheat the cups, killing the larvae. If you do not have culture medium, then provide your larvae with leaves from any of the following plants: mallow, malva, thistle, dandelion, and aster. Note: Avoid touching larvae with your bare hands because salts and oils on your hands can harm the larvae. Keep larvae at room temperature. Once the larvae mature, they will climb to the top of the cup and form pupae, known as a chrysalises (or chrysalids). An interesting behavior pattern demonstrated by many larvae prior to forming chrysalises is chewing through the paper at the top of the cup. They chew the paper because they are responding to an instinctive urge to disperse before pupating. If larvae chew through the paper, simply remove it and replace it with a fresh piece of tissue paper that is free of lotions or perfumes. Once the chrysalis is attached to the tissue paper, do not disturb it for at least 2 days. After 2 days, the chrysalis should be hard enough to move into a suitable habitat for adult butterflies. The Carolina™ Butterfly Sanctuary is an excellent butterfly habitat, as it allows you to both view your butterflies and provide them with enough room for flying. Remove the paper with the chrysalis attached, and tape it to the top or side of the habitat, so that the chrysalis hangs in a natural position. Adult butterflies should emerge in 7 to 10 days and require liquid food. Our butterfly kits include an adult feeding system; however, you can also make a feeder from an empty plastic film canister or plastic soufflé portion cup. Punch a hole in the canister or cup’s lid large enough to insert a white felt wick approximately ¼″ W × 2″ L. As an alternative to the felt wick, you can use a sturdy cotton ball, piece of kitchen sponge, or other absorbent material. Make a feeding solution by dissolving 2 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of water (1 part sugar : 4 parts water). Fill the feeding system with the sugar water. Dip the wick into the sugar water and then squeeze out the excess. Insert the wick into the hole in the lid, and place the lid on the canister or cup. The sugar water should be replaced every other day to prevent mold accumulation. You can also create flowers to attract butterflies to the feeder. Using bright pieces of construction paper, cut the shape of a flower, and then cut a hole in the center large enough to fit around the wick. Adult butterflies typically live for one to 2 weeks.