Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I've been looking at care sheets on the 'net for some time trying to find out a bit more about caring for caterpillars, pupae, and butterflies. It all seems so complicated! Still, I would like to try my hand at raising a butterfly of some kind next summer.

What is the most hardy species to try, given the weather conditions in NE Ohio? The daytime temp during the summer is usually about 78-90, with the nighttime temp dropping to about 50 or 60. The air remains relatively humid most of the time, but we definitely have our dry days. I'm a bit worried about keeping a butterfly in a net cage indoors because I keep the A/C on constantly. Would it be advisable to set up a habitat on the porch? What about rain?

Do adult butterflies live very long? I know that many of them live only to mate before passing away. Any information you can offer is greatly appreciated!!!!

Hello,
I have raised many Monarch butterflies throughout my life, and they really don't need a lot except to clean the bottle you are keeping them in about every other day, and replace the milkweed leaves when you clean the bottle.
I use glass spagetti sauce jars. Clean them out with soap and water, rinse them and then pound a few holes in the lid with a screwdriver and a hammer. Then place the caterpillar with some milkweed leaves in there and you are all set. Clean the bottle about every other day and replace the leaves.
When the caterpillar is ready to form his chrysalis he climbs to the lid and hangs from there. I also put some velcro on the lid of the jar and take the lid off the jar(with chrysalis attached) and stick it under my kitchen cabinets. That way when the butterfly comes out there is ample room for her to inflate and dry her wings. I actually just released a Monarch today that I found as an egg in my backyard.
If you are talking about trying to raise and mate a pair and then have the female lay eggs, and then raise those, I've never done that. The biggest issues with trying that are the need for nectar to keep the female and male alive so that they can successfully mate, and after that, having enough milkweed to feed all the eggs that the female lays.

Actually monarchwatch.com (link below)has a section on raising Monarchs with cage plans to raise individuals and plans for a Monarch culture(raising them continously).

Good luck,
Chris
Rearing Monarchs

Hi - I agree. Monarchs are probably the easiest b/c their time in pupation (chrysalis) is only about 2 weeks. I do not recommend trying to keep the butterfly as a "pet" after it has emerged as they are meant to fly free, mate, migrate and carry on their species. It can be done but you have to have a proper set up supplying fresh flowers and/or another nectar source (sugar water). A butterfly is not meant to stay in a small contained area and frankly, I STILL get excited everytime I do a release of my reared lepidoptera! I think that part of the whole process is the most exhilirating, knowing that you helped one to survive and then set it free

Since you are willing to wait until next summer I have a great book for you to get/read. It is called The Family Butterfly Book by Rick Mikula and has great info and photos about raising them. The only aspect of his book and philosophy that I personally(and the National Butterfly Association, the Lepidopterists Society and others), disagree with is the shipping and use of live butterflies for weddings and other events - you can read up on it via a link below if you are interested.

But if you read it over the chilly winter months, check out Monarch Watch as suggested by Chris as well as a site called Journey North www.learner.org/jnorth/ you should be set. Amd of course you can alwasy check back here with your questions

Oh, by the way... if you do it once - you WILL become addicted

lele

Nat'l Butterfly Assoc.

Hi lele,
My asclepsias( type of milkweed) are in full bloom, and getting a good seed set for next year. But will the Monarchs even see them in oct. as they fly South.? Im in No. mexico, right in the migration route. I have only seen one Maybe Monarch all summer here, at 6000 ft. altitude. I have gone to the monarch watch site once and its good.
yanngo of mexico

Hi yanngo,

if you are "en route" I am sure they will stop, but maybe just to refuel and not to lay. From your location I would assume you would see them in more abundance once they are closer to their wintering site. Have you seen Journey North? GREAT SITE! go to the link and look around. Be sure to check out Investigate the Seasons for their journey south.

They have tracking, reporting, sightings, making stop-over habitat (like your home!) and LOTS more.

lele
Journey North