Some of the messages I got after my hiatus have been about the butterflies. I got a lot of questions about how to raise them and also some of you were concerned if they made it. So ,here is the rest of their story.
After making a reinforcement for the butterflies house they had more support and a better space to keep turning into chrysalis. Then, after a couple of weeks finally the first ones started to hatch. They were beautiful Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius) butterflies.
On that initial batch the first one was a male, the next two were females and then a male again. I feed them some old watermelon and orange slices and they seem to enjoy them a lot. They were happy flying around the room and resting on the window enjoying the sun.
Over the next two weeks the rest of the chrysalis continue to open and the butterflies came out. I let each one go after their wings had harden enough. In the end, all but two of the rest of the butterflies came out. I wish all would have survived, but It was still a good success rate. I think the two missing were hurt that time the wind knock the cage over.
It was really cool to see them grow like that and pop out from their cocoon. I hope I have another chance of raising more butterflies next spring.
Butterflies on my little garden in japan
After making a reinforcement for the butterflies house they had more support and a better space to keep turning into chrysalis. Then, after a couple of weeks finally the first ones started to hatch. They were beautiful Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius) butterflies.
They hatched one by one
On that initial batch the first one was a male, the next two were females and then a male again. I feed them some old watermelon and orange slices and they seem to enjoy them a lot. They were happy flying around the room and resting on the window enjoying the sun.
It is important to let them stretch out and harden their wings
Over the next two weeks the rest of the chrysalis continue to open and the butterflies came out. I let each one go after their wings had harden enough. In the end, all but two of the rest of the butterflies came out. I wish all would have survived, but It was still a good success rate. I think the two missing were hurt that time the wind knock the cage over.
They like eating fruit
It was really cool to see them grow like that and pop out from their cocoon. I hope I have another chance of raising more butterflies next spring.
They look very beautiful. It must have been fascinating to watch them emerge!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! And such beautiful butterflies too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! Beautiful photos-thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic. I used to raise butterflies with the children but usually about five at a time. It is a fascinating process to watch.
ReplyDeleteEileen
I really love how you're able to create this little world right in your balcony!
ReplyDeleteraising butterflies is super cool! :)
gives me hope, I might be able to do it too *someday*
Wonderful. I wonder if I could do that here in Malaysia. I'm concerned that I'm too high up. I'm about 18 stories up on top of a hill.
ReplyDeleteThe metamorphosis of the butterfly is just the most amazing miracle of nature and so much fun to witness. You did well Fer.
ReplyDeleteYou breed your own butterflies??? That's great. I'm into butterflies, and photographing them, and I think what you've accomplished is tremendous.
ReplyDeleteRosie
That is so neat! Thx for sharing :-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful...
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten you were raising butterflies this year. Boy did they ever turn out beautifully. Now I'm going to have to look back at the posts to see how you did it again.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's fantastic, my brother and I used to do this at our grandparents place.
ReplyDeleteThanks! it was really fun to do, I hope I can repeat it next season, but I have to find some more caterpillars.
ReplyDeleteNicola ~ I am sure you can get some, butterflies can fly very high, just try and find out which ones grow on your area.
How fantastic!
ReplyDelete