Chrysalide Drama

So things have been going very very well with our butterflies so far this year. We have had a few get stuck molting between the instar sizes, which is common. Thankfully we haven't had any have trouble changing into chrysalis like last year, 2019, and in 2018. I used to hold out hope that they'd still make it, but now I know they are gonners if they don't do that transformation correctly. And there have been no issues with them having any problems eclosing, like with Jerry and Maria. Caterpillar drama is about the same as usual, with some sick and oozing, dying, and/or disappearing. I haven't been keeping good count of the egg and caterpillar numbers, I'm trying to just count successful butterflies. I didn't even know some caterpillars were missing inside until I found their chrysalis under the cupboards (2 were under there!) or one made it's silk pad up high on a storage lid on top of the cupboards. It was several days before we even noticed that hanging there in plain sight. I only found the ones under the cupboards after I found their skins as I was sweeping the floor after they changed into the chrysalis. There's also been some who are just barely hanging onto their silk, one missed it's silk pad and fell, but luckily I had some tissue wrap under it so it didn't get hurt. I was able to get it stuck on a sweat shirt's fuzz and it hardened there, and then I made it more secure after that. I also three other problems with four other chrysalides, and I froze three of these - one of them had it's wing drop down and fill with fluid! It was dripping green, and I figured it was doomed. 

That one had trouble molting each time, and left his skin with a line down it and half green half yellow looking. You can barely see the line in the pic above. I named him two face. It was too bad he didn't make it. And then there were these two - one that I found after noticing lots of black drops below it. Ugh, it looked like a zombie chrysalis! 

and this one only had a few drops of black, but looked sunken like a raisin. I "euthanized" those three (froze them).

And then the most sad one for me was this chrysalis. I was moving all the chrysalides to a branch after they were hard. I clipped off the milkweek to move this one - Looked good, right?

But then I turned it over and saw that it had been in the path of a hungry caterpillar...

Doh!! Eaten alive, darn it. That has never happened before. A lot of chrysalis drama that is a first this year. 12 years doing this and new things still happen. But when a butterfly makes it and flies free, it's worth it. 

I sent a polo to Mel sharing some of the exciting and tragic butterfly events, and I had to get a screen shot of this cute smile that K made at the end of the video - ha! 

Katharine is liking the butterflies, and she loves the shirt that I got in June at Kid to Kid. I love that she loves it!!!

She's gently tap the butterfly with her pointer finger and say butterfly "Bah-fie!" She is so cute.