We had quite a walk to get the milkweed which grew in the nearby woods and each day we would set out to get fresh milkweed for the little guys. And as they grew bigger, we had to come home with more and more leaves - boy, could those little guys EAT! I remember it being a really hot summer that year too and wondering just why I had started this as we trudged the hot streets to get the milkweed.
When the caterpillars reached their full growth, you could actually hear them crunching on the milkweed plants. Those big beautiful caterpillars crunched their way through the milkweed leaves every day. Until the day came when they crawled up on the branches we had put in their container, attached themselves, hung down and turned into lovely green chrysalises.
I don't remember how many days we waited and watched those chrysalises until finally, late one night, the first chrysalis started to move. It trembled and it shook and you could see the outline of the orange and black wings of the Monarch butterfly inside. And finally the first Monarch emerged. We had six Monarchs that year. We let their wings dry for a day and then released them in the back yard. What friendly little guys! One landed in my hair and stayed for quite awhile. They stayed in our garden for days and were a beauty to behold. I wish I could put up some pictures but I didn't have a digital camera back then.
But I can put up some photos of the Swallowtail butterflies that I raised last summer. Those I found on my parsley plant in my garden when they were quite big caterpillars. They had almost completely finished with the parsley plant so I brought them in so I could buy more parsley and feed them and protect them from predators outside. I only had them a few days when they went into their chrysalises. While the Monarch chrysalises were shiny and green, the Swallowtail chrysalises were brown and looked just like the wood they were attached to. When they went into chrysalises, they spun a very tight lasso around their bodies and then hung back on this cord. They weren't as friendly as the Monarchs when released and only spent a few minutes in my garden before taking off. But I was able to get a photo of one of them. Here's one just coming out of the chrysalis.
And here's the photo of the one who stayed in my garden for a short time.
Raising butterflies is a very rewarding and fascinating experience. You should give it a try! If you have any questions about what to do, let me know.
