RAISING SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES

2013-06-23T14:56:00.001-07:00

June 2013
It's butterfly season and I have three caterpillars that are just going into the cacoon stage. A word of warning, I had four and one fell with the anise branch into the container of water and died. I usually used narrow neck bottles for the anise, but this year I didn't have any. I will not make that mistake again.

To view the butterfly development, you have to go to the first page and back track. I'll try to get it changed, but right now that's the best way.

The 8th Butterfly Emerged

2011-07-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

The 8th butterfly emerged today. I had an early morning appointment and when I came home he was out and gone, so no pictures for the baby of the group.

I'll be adding swallowtail butterfly products and later when the Monarchs pass through I'll try to get some photos. So far I have not seen a monarch cocoon, but if I do I'll try to make sure it becomes a butterfly.

Yesterday's Butterfly

2011-07-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

This beautiful butterfly emerged yesterday, I wasn't able to be home when it came out of it's cocoon. I found him and moved him to a better spot, but he was old enough that he didn't want me messing with him and he took of shortly after this shot.

Swallowtail Poster

2011-07-11T04:56:00.000-07:00

This is the butterfly that emerged yesterday.

I love the colors on this one so I created a poster which is available on Zazzle.

Another one emerged this morning

2011-07-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

Only two cocoons left. I feel so good. I never expected (although I really, really hoped) to get them all from caterpillar to butterfly. I wasn't here for the emerging, I did get a few good photos & will post one later.

A Butterfly Doodle Speaker by Whitewaves (that's me)

2011-07-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Doodle Butterfly Speakers by whitewaves2
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Butterfly on a Doodle Speaker

2011-07-09T18:49:00.001-07:00

Black Swallowtail ~ speaker by Andy2302
See more mini speakers for a notebook available on Zazzle.

Beautiful Butterflies From A Zazzle Artist

2011-07-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Black Swallowtail ~ mug by Andy2302
Browse more Butterflies Mugs

Black Swallowtail ~ mousepad by Andy2302
Browse Butterflies Mousepads

Three Left

2011-07-09T11:32:00.001-07:00

I had been watching one cocoon all morning and off and on into the afternoon. I was sure it would emerge today - and it did - when I wasn't watching. It set up it's drying area where I couldn't get very good photos but there are two good shots to share. The first is the best cocoon shot to date and the second is the cocoon after the butterfly has emerged.

Then there were two

2011-07-09T06:11:00.001-07:00

We watched both butterflies dry out for the longest time. They seemed quite comfortable just hanging there. When they finally did float away of course I missed the photos. But it was quite a morning watching these two.

Four left in cocoons.

Hanging Out

2011-07-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

The butterfly moved around the flower plant and settled on this leaf. He stayed here for well over an hour.

On a Flower

2011-07-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

I managed to get him onto a flower (I was very careful!). You can see his wings are still curled, and his legs are weak.

Totally Emerged from Cocoon

2011-07-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

The butterfly is now totally out of the cocoon. Within a few minutes I moved it to the flower plant outside the box where he stayed until he was strong enough to float away.

Emerging 2

2011-07-09T04:34:00.001-07:00

Emerging

2011-07-08T18:21:00.001-07:00

I was talking to my husband, turned and the butterfly had started to emerge. It is such a silent process and happens so quickly I felt lucky to get this shot.

This is the cocoon

2011-07-08T17:34:00.001-07:00

This is the cocoon I'm watching. You can see the dots from (I think it's wings).

Much Stronger

2011-07-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

This butterfly is much stronger, but he will continue to rest and gain strength for at least another hour.

In the mean time I saw that another butterflies cocoon was changing. The cocoon looks like it is getting darker, actually the cocoon is becoming translucent and the darkness is actually the butterfly. I brought the box over to where I could sit and wait for it to emerge & luckily spotted it just as it was emerging. I didn't get great pictures because of the location of the cocoon, but some are worth sharing.

Great Butterfly Day

2011-07-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I went out to check the cocoons. One of the butterflys had already emerged. I helped it to a flower and started to take a few pictures. As you can see it's wings are weak and wet, his legs are also very weak. The body of the butterfly is rather small when it emerges. The wings and legs grow stronger and the body grows larger. The butterfly will hang, gaining strength and drying its wings for an hour, sometimes more than two hours.

One more

2011-07-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Another butterfly emerged this morning. I saw that it had started to change from it's bright green to a darker color so I figured today or tomorrow. I set some flowers up for it and then got busy because I had to leave the house. I looked out and there it was sitting on the flowers. As I opened the door it flew away so no pictures this time. NEXT.........

A Poster By Disney

2011-07-05T20:53:00.001-07:00

"Dreamer's Door" Fantasy Butterfly Keyhole Art by hannahdisney
Learn how to sell your art online at Zazzle.

Another beauty by a Zazzle artist

2011-07-05T20:38:00.001-07:00

Spicebush butterfly ~ postcard by Andy2302
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Bambi & a Butterfly

2011-07-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

Bambi with a Butterfly on his Tail by disney
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How cute is this? This design is available not only on T's but also on numerous items like stamps & mugs & ever so much more.

Still Weak

2011-07-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

I was going through my shots and came across this one that shows the weak and wet wings. the thing that amazes me is that it took this butterfly about 1 1/2 hours to fly, I don't know how it survives without a little help.

Last Shot

2011-07-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Then it fluttered away.

Drying Wings

2011-07-04T09:32:00.000-07:00