Painted Lady Butterfly Kit Instructions
1. Place the caterpillar cup in a quiet place where it won't be disturbed. Room temperature is perfect for them to grow. Make sure the cup is away from any heating vents, air conditioners, and direct sunlight. Do not use any chemical sprays near your caterpillars.
2. Keep the cup upright and watch your caterpillars eat and grow for 7-10 days. Caterpillars must shed their skins 5-7 times to grow. The little black capsules on the bottom of the cup are the caterpillar skins, or molts. If you notice that they do not move a lot, this is normal. They have everything they need within close reach. You may pick up the cup to view and measure your caterpillars, but do not open the cup as bacteria may enter.
3. When your caterpillars grow to 2" long, they will start to wander around the cup. The caterpillars are looking for a suitable place to turn into chrysalises. This will mostly be at the top of the cup. They will hang upside down in a “J” shape for one day before they shed their skin for the last time and become chrysalises. Do not disturb the cup once you see your caterpillars hanging in their "J” shape. A freshly-formed chrysalis looks wet and green and is very fragile. It will lighten with gold specks as it hardens.
4. After ALL your caterpillars have become chrysalises, wait another 24 hours for all the chrysalises to harden. Do not disturb or pick up the cup until one full day has passed.
5. Once the chrysalises have hardened, open your butterfly habitat. You can line the bottom, inside or outside, with newspaper or paper towel. A large butterfly habitat can be kept either tall or on its side with the zipper end up. The clear vinyl side will allow viewing of your butterflies when they emerge.
6. Carefully remove the lid of the cup. Gently peel away the white filter paper where the chrysalises will have attached. Remove any silk or webbing around the chrysalises. Don't worry, they are not as delicate as they seem and are quite sturdy. They may wiggle and this is very normal as they are alive. Lay the filter paper with the chrysalises on the bottom of the habitat with the chrysalises on TOP. Spread the filters out so they do not overlap each other. If a chrysalis has fallen off, lay it on the bottom of the habitat near the sides. Remember to close the zipper.
8. Wait 7-10 days for your butterflies to emerge. Remember to mist the chrysalises. The chrysalises will darken the day before the butterflies emerge and you will see their wings right through. Emerging from the chrysalises only takes 5-10 minutes and usually happens in the morning. The new butterflies will crawl up the sides of the habitat and dry their wings. If you see a red colouring on the sides, don't worry, this is not blood but a waste product during metamorphosis.
7. If your house is dry (most are), mist the chrysalises with a spray bottle 2 times a day with water. Once in the morning and evening. 1 to 2 sprits is enough each time. Make sure the bottle hasn’t held chemicals at ANY time during its use.
9. Remove the filter paper once your butterflies have emerged. They will not be hungry the first day. On Day 2, You can feed your butterflies, see “Feeding Adult Butterflies." We recommend observing your butterflies for 3-5 days before releasing them.
10. Release your butterflies on a warm sunny day when the temperature is above 18C/65F. You can gently place a finger in front of a butterfly's feet to hold it before releasing. Flowers definitely help. Be sure not to grab the butterflies. If the weather does not permit, it is better to keep them indoors with food available. Butterflies actually live longer in captivity (3-5 weeks) than in the wild (2-3 weeks).
All the best with your new butterflies!