It takes each one about 15-20 minutes to emerge from the chrysalis and fully expand its wings. It takes another 60-90 minutes for the wings to "dry" enough for the butterfly to take flight.
Those are actually the heads of pins that I used to pin the whole setup in place during filming.
My "job" is actually more of a hobby... I do this mostly for enjoyment as there is little, if any, money in it.
My degrees come fromt he school of hard knocks. I tested out of high school at 16 and never went back. I learned everything I know on my own and from others. Nowadays, everything you need to know is on the Internet - just get out there and do it :-)
Interesting. So a butterfly's wings are like a pair of folded air mattresses, unfolding as they are inflated. There is a pupa outside of my house today. You can see the moth inside kick like a baby in the womb when you gently poke the sac.
Interesting little bugs, arent they? Pretty much all the pupa can do is squirm around in a circle but that might be enough to scare-away a predator. Yep - the folded air mattress analogy is pretty-much how it is, except that they pump liquid into the wings instead of air. :-)
no./ one of them seems injured though. it fell from the cocoon onto a slice of orange i placed there for the ones that hatched earlier, and the juice seems to have ruined its wings. theyre all crumpled and won't unfold. i'm not sure what i can do for it.
Bummer. They expand their wings right away, as soon as they emerge, and they only get one shot at it. If they aren't hanging upside down, the wings can't expand properly. I'm sure this happens in the wild all the time - the wing blows them off, or they just slip and fall and can't climb back up in time. You can still feed the butterfly and keep it as a pet but it won't be able to fly and won't last long in the wild. Nature is kinda harsh that way.
It's best chance would be if you releasd it right at a food source - like on some flowers where other butterflies eat (not all flowers are usable for food by butterflies).
It will probably get eaten by something, but then most of them do - even the healthy ones.
If you want to feed it, make some 10% sugar in water solution. Soak a napkin in it so it's wet but not dripping, then set the butterfly on it. They have taste sensors in their feet and will feed if hungry. :-)
at first i thought thats what this butterfly was doing on the orange. the wings looked ok at first but it seems too slipper and when it tried to walk, ity lost its balace and the wings dragged over the orange getting all sticky. then it fell off and the wings crumpled. what if i shriptzed the wings with a mist of water? would that help them loosen and open properly or is it a lost cause?
The wings are expanded when the butterfly pumps fluid into them from the inside. The wings expand as they fill but there isn't enough pressure to overcome gravity or sticky surfaces (that's why they need to hang upside-down). Once the fluid goes into the wings, it hardens after a while (30-90 minutes). Even though it's probably water-soluable, water can't reach it because it's inside the wing membrane. A bug's wings are stuck in whatever shape they harden.
another one of them which hatched properly and had a few hours to dry landed on the orange and the bottom of it's wings got wet with the juice. is this one in trouble or has it had enough time for that not to be a problem?
i don't understand. the instructions with the kit said slices of fresh orange were good food. i never thought it would be damaging to them
If the wings are formed OK and dried, they should be ok, but sticky wings will prevent them from flying. You may be able to rinse off the juice carefully with water. Wings will dry ok if wet with only water.
Butterlies can suck up moisture/jiuce even if it's just barely damp so avoid excessive wetness. Use a napkin to absorb any wet, drippy juice from the slices and drips/puddles on the cage bottom. That should prevent wing problems. :-)
i am so annoyed. the instructions said either sugar water served on flower petals or sliced citrus. both of those are wet.. i am so anoyed. its gonna be tough to rinse the wings without making puddles on the bottom of the habitat and it will be hard to clean up without opening it wide enough for them to escape. i don't know what i'm gonna do.
You can catch the butterflies by hand (carefully) and rinse them under a light stream of tap water. I have done this in the past when hand-fed butterflies have gotten into the juice. Here's how I normally feed butterflies:
i used a spritz bottle and sprayed it through the net. it seems to have worked it flapped its wings a couple of times in protest, but hasn't flown yet, although non of them have really flown yet.
i'd be too nervous to try it by hand. they seem so fragile and i can be such a clutz.
Butterflies do know how to deal with rain (they usually just land and keep their wings closed) so a heavy misting shouldn't hurt them. However, if they're really sticky, you'll have to get them pretty wet to dissolve the stickiness and allow it to drip away.
Your butterflies won't really be able to fly well until they get warmed-up. A bright, warm light at the top of the cage will help them reach "flight temperature" (80F to 85F is ideal) so they'll get active and start flying.
Yep - all butterflies and moths have to do that - they're all crammed into that little package (pupa) during metamorphosis. Amazing little bugs! Thanks for watching :D
Thanks for watching and commenting! :D Be sure and see my Purple Hairstreaks video too - the last half has a ton of really cool emerging and wing expanding sequences - butterflies even more colorful than these =)
The whole insect process is pretty creepy, really, but it's funny how the resulting adult bug's being "pretty" makes it more tolerable than if it were, say, a cockroach!
Hahaha XD Thanks for the view and nice comment! :D I not only try to reply to all comment posters but also to visit their channels and watch some videos (sub and friend clicks are also likely). Networking at its finest. Cheers! :-)
Sonoran Blues emerge, mate and lay eggs in spring. Adults only last a couple of weeks.
Their eggs hatch, caterpillars grow and then pupate into "chrysalis" form (butterfly equivilent of a cocoon) after 30-40 days. Then they hibernate (diapause) until the next spring. When the weather warms, they finish developing and emerge to start the cycle all over.
Some species diapause for up to 7 years! Most adults only live a few weeks but some can last a few months under ideal conditions. :D
These particular butterflies I raised from eggs, which I got from a female I caught in the nearby mountains. The females don't seem to mind laying eggs on pottedhost plants in a large jar. You can see the whole rearing project on my website.
lepidoptera dot jcmdi dot com / sonora / sonorar dot html (or just navigate to the Sonoran Blue pages thru the menus from the main page) :D
LOL when they emerge they look like theyre in the matrix! XD
thecutekiller1 7 months ago
The timelapse really helps amplify that effect :-) Thanks for stopping by!
jcmegabyte 7 months ago
GREAT.....bellissimo.....GREETINGS FROM ITALY
zioband 9 months ago
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed the show =)
jcmegabyte 9 months ago
you have made my eyes light up ;) thank you its a beautiful sight ;)
norrahsable 11 months ago
I'm glad you liked this one - thanks so much for watching and the nice comment! =)
jcmegabyte 11 months ago
cooL
EmpathicGabriel 1 year ago
Thanks! :-)
jcmegabyte 1 year ago
How long did it really take them to come out?
ShannonBoone4evr 1 year ago
It takes each one about 15-20 minutes to emerge from the chrysalis and fully expand its wings. It takes another 60-90 minutes for the wings to "dry" enough for the butterfly to take flight.
Thanks for watching! :-)
jcmegabyte 1 year ago
are those eggs on the blue fabric?? hmmm. okay i really want your job.....im like sooo jealous (: lolz what were your degrees in for school??
-Morgan <3
Joshluver1234 2 years ago
Those are actually the heads of pins that I used to pin the whole setup in place during filming.
My "job" is actually more of a hobby... I do this mostly for enjoyment as there is little, if any, money in it.
My degrees come fromt he school of hard knocks. I tested out of high school at 16 and never went back. I learned everything I know on my own and from others. Nowadays, everything you need to know is on the Internet - just get out there and do it :-)
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
That's really interesting.
It's really great how you time them to come out of their pupas.
Thanks for uploading such beautiful videos!
RedemptioN045 1 year ago
Glad you enjoyed the show - thanks for watching and the nice comment! :-)
jcmegabyte 1 year ago
Interesting. So a butterfly's wings are like a pair of folded air mattresses, unfolding as they are inflated. There is a pupa outside of my house today. You can see the moth inside kick like a baby in the womb when you gently poke the sac.
Virginityrocks 2 years ago
Interesting little bugs, arent they? Pretty much all the pupa can do is squirm around in a circle but that might be enough to scare-away a predator. Yep - the folded air mattress analogy is pretty-much how it is, except that they pump liquid into the wings instead of air. :-)
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
my painted lady butterflies hatched today. the cocoons and hachlins were so different
wadyano 2 years ago
Got any vids of them?
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
no./ one of them seems injured though. it fell from the cocoon onto a slice of orange i placed there for the ones that hatched earlier, and the juice seems to have ruined its wings. theyre all crumpled and won't unfold. i'm not sure what i can do for it.
wadyano 2 years ago
Bummer. They expand their wings right away, as soon as they emerge, and they only get one shot at it. If they aren't hanging upside down, the wings can't expand properly. I'm sure this happens in the wild all the time - the wing blows them off, or they just slip and fall and can't climb back up in time. You can still feed the butterfly and keep it as a pet but it won't be able to fly and won't last long in the wild. Nature is kinda harsh that way.
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
i'm not sure how to care for it. i had planned on releasing them as soon as they were ready, but this one isn't going anywhere.
wadyano 2 years ago
It's best chance would be if you releasd it right at a food source - like on some flowers where other butterflies eat (not all flowers are usable for food by butterflies).
It will probably get eaten by something, but then most of them do - even the healthy ones.
If you want to feed it, make some 10% sugar in water solution. Soak a napkin in it so it's wet but not dripping, then set the butterfly on it. They have taste sensors in their feet and will feed if hungry. :-)
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
at first i thought thats what this butterfly was doing on the orange. the wings looked ok at first but it seems too slipper and when it tried to walk, ity lost its balace and the wings dragged over the orange getting all sticky. then it fell off and the wings crumpled. what if i shriptzed the wings with a mist of water? would that help them loosen and open properly or is it a lost cause?
wadyano 2 years ago
I'm afraid that wouldn't work...
The wings are expanded when the butterfly pumps fluid into them from the inside. The wings expand as they fill but there isn't enough pressure to overcome gravity or sticky surfaces (that's why they need to hang upside-down). Once the fluid goes into the wings, it hardens after a while (30-90 minutes). Even though it's probably water-soluable, water can't reach it because it's inside the wing membrane. A bug's wings are stuck in whatever shape they harden.
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
another one of them which hatched properly and had a few hours to dry landed on the orange and the bottom of it's wings got wet with the juice. is this one in trouble or has it had enough time for that not to be a problem?
i don't understand. the instructions with the kit said slices of fresh orange were good food. i never thought it would be damaging to them
wadyano 2 years ago
If the wings are formed OK and dried, they should be ok, but sticky wings will prevent them from flying. You may be able to rinse off the juice carefully with water. Wings will dry ok if wet with only water.
Butterlies can suck up moisture/jiuce even if it's just barely damp so avoid excessive wetness. Use a napkin to absorb any wet, drippy juice from the slices and drips/puddles on the cage bottom. That should prevent wing problems. :-)
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
i am so annoyed. the instructions said either sugar water served on flower petals or sliced citrus. both of those are wet.. i am so anoyed. its gonna be tough to rinse the wings without making puddles on the bottom of the habitat and it will be hard to clean up without opening it wide enough for them to escape. i don't know what i'm gonna do.
wadyano 2 years ago
You can catch the butterflies by hand (carefully) and rinse them under a light stream of tap water. I have done this in the past when hand-fed butterflies have gotten into the juice. Here's how I normally feed butterflies:
watch?v=FqzAzLK0P5I
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
i used a spritz bottle and sprayed it through the net. it seems to have worked it flapped its wings a couple of times in protest, but hasn't flown yet, although non of them have really flown yet.
i'd be too nervous to try it by hand. they seem so fragile and i can be such a clutz.
wadyano 2 years ago
Butterflies do know how to deal with rain (they usually just land and keep their wings closed) so a heavy misting shouldn't hurt them. However, if they're really sticky, you'll have to get them pretty wet to dissolve the stickiness and allow it to drip away.
Your butterflies won't really be able to fly well until they get warmed-up. A bright, warm light at the top of the cage will help them reach "flight temperature" (80F to 85F is ideal) so they'll get active and start flying.
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
so i guess i should turn off the air conditioner. lol
wadyano 2 years ago
Thats the first time i ever saw a butterfly emerge. I wasn't disappointed. This is too cool.
ninja13b 2 years ago
Glad you enjoyed - thanks for checking it out :-)
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
thanks for putting that video on here
nathansavas 2 years ago
No problem - thanks for watching :-)
jcmegabyte 2 years ago
wow dats cul how dey come out
538gerardo538 3 years ago
Indeed - thanks for the view and comment :-)
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
Wow! I didn't know that their wings had to open up like that! That's awesome!
littlecrazythings 3 years ago
Yep - all butterflies and moths have to do that - they're all crammed into that little package (pupa) during metamorphosis. Amazing little bugs! Thanks for watching :D
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
that's just beautiful.
marylynncleveland 3 years ago
Thanks for watching and commenting! :D Be sure and see my Purple Hairstreaks video too - the last half has a ton of really cool emerging and wing expanding sequences - butterflies even more colorful than these =)
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
wow, so creepy and wonderful, really nice videos jcmegabyte and thanks for answering everyone
fluffypopje 3 years ago
The whole insect process is pretty creepy, really, but it's funny how the resulting adult bug's being "pretty" makes it more tolerable than if it were, say, a cockroach!
Hahaha XD Thanks for the view and nice comment! :D I not only try to reply to all comment posters but also to visit their channels and watch some videos (sub and friend clicks are also likely). Networking at its finest. Cheers! :-)
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
WOW
Toilu 3 years ago
Thanks for watching! ...wait 'til you see the Great Purple Hairstreak documentary I'm working one. Amazing footage of a spectacular bug! :D
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
thank you its the first time I see a butterfly emerging from his cocoon!!!!are you saying that the whole evolution takes a year??
I know a butterfly lifespan is very short but how long is the longest they can live???
josepolo950 3 years ago
Sonoran Blues emerge, mate and lay eggs in spring. Adults only last a couple of weeks.
Their eggs hatch, caterpillars grow and then pupate into "chrysalis" form (butterfly equivilent of a cocoon) after 30-40 days. Then they hibernate (diapause) until the next spring. When the weather warms, they finish developing and emerge to start the cycle all over.
Some species diapause for up to 7 years! Most adults only live a few weeks but some can last a few months under ideal conditions. :D
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
Thanks, x questi meravigliosi video, siete il massimo.....
xyzk54 3 years ago
Thank YOU for watching and commenting :D
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
woah amazingly beautiful
they should make a movie
so inspiring
hight0psneakers 3 years ago
I guess this is episode #1 - the pilot film :D
Thanks for watching!
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
thats so cool, do u breed them urself?
Omega1818 3 years ago
These particular butterflies I raised from eggs, which I got from a female I caught in the nearby mountains. The females don't seem to mind laying eggs on pottedhost plants in a large jar. You can see the whole rearing project on my website.
lepidoptera dot jcmdi dot com / sonora / sonorar dot html (or just navigate to the Sonoran Blue pages thru the menus from the main page) :D
Thanks for watching!
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
Wow! That looked cool the way the wings uncurled. 8) I wonder what it feels like for them? Hmm
jules10109 3 years ago
Maybe like stretching in the morning after a good night's sleep? ('cept they been sleepin' for a year!)
jcmegabyte 3 years ago
lol! :) It probably does feel like a good stretch. ;p That's the best part of waking up.
jules10109 3 years ago
Amazing!!
MrDuffy81 4 years ago
Es maravilloso y precioso el vídeo de las mariposas, amigo.
supercellstorm 4 years ago
Way cool. I'm still learning to get my time lapse stuff going. I hope I can get this good!
cybercab 4 years ago
Very touching Thank you
ZEDGIN 4 years ago
This is great! I love how the wings unfold!
BB76USA 4 years ago 2
Beautiful!I've only images from the "Bombyx mori" but they aren't so beautiful. Thanks.
miceu 4 years ago
That's so neat. Their wings are like flowers.
Romperjet 4 years ago 2
that was B E A utiful,
nice
homiealex006 4 years ago
Wow, wonderful, thanks for sharing. :D
kclama 4 years ago 2
gorgeous!
just amazing!
sigma1920 4 years ago 2
beautiful!
gabrielized 4 years ago 2
That´s so beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
michellekate 4 years ago