It is safe for humans to hold and touch the Monarch caterpillar but it is not always safe for the caterpillar. When they are young/small they are quite delicate but as they grow it becomes safer for them to be handled.
Fresh chrysalises are delicate and need time to harden before you can move them safely. Observe the chrysalis before moving it. Is it an opaque green or is it starting to turn transparent so you can see the Monarch inside? The Monarch's pupation stage is 10-14 days and the chrysalis will harden after 1-2 days.
The answers are yes, you may relocate the creatures once they make their chrysalis, and no, the caterpillars do not need to chrysalis on milkweed. In fact, Monarch and other chrysalises often are found as far as 30 feet from the hostplant where they ate their last meal.
Gently scoop your chrysalis out of the cup with a plastic spoon. Be sure to remove all of the webbing surrounding the chrysalis with a cotton swab. Then lay the chrysalis on a piece of paper towel on the floor of your Butterfly Garden Habitat. Try to position the chrysalis near the inside mesh wall of the habitat.
The adult will emerge in 10-14 days. When it is ready to emerge, the adult wings will be visible through the pupa covering. Adults usually emerge in the mid-morning. When the pupa is very dark and the orange and black wings are visible, check it often to increase your chances of observing this amazing event.
What happens inside a chrysalis or cocoon? First, the caterpillar digests itself, releasing enzymes to dissolve all of its tissues. If you were to cut open a cocoon or chrysalis at just the right time, caterpillar soup would ooze out.
Taking care of your chrysalises
They like part shade as the chrysalis sometimes burns and dries up in the sun's rays in peak summer.
The new chrysalis is soft and easily deformed for the first hour after pupating. Anything that touches the soft chrysalis can cause damage. Some damage is natural, caused by twigs or leaves surrounding the soft chrysalis.
The telltale gold spots on the outside of a chrysalis are ports of entry for oxygen.
Butterfly chrysalises need humidity. To prevent dehydration, dunk or spray your chrysalis under/with water a couple of times a day! Chrysalises breathe through holes in their sides, called spiracles. A good wetting will not harm them.
Sometimes, monarch larvae or pupae appear to die for no apparent reason. This does not mean that a parasite killed them; other causes of death include ingestion of chemical toxins, a wound that became infected by opportunistic bacteria, or thermal stress caused by conditions that are too hot or too cold.
First things first: Do not attempt to move a monarch chrysalis that has not completely hardened yet. After the caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis, it usually takes about 1 to 2 days to fully dry and harden.
Male or Female? Males have a small black spot on the top surface of the hindwing. Females do not. You can see the spot when the wings are open; sometimes it's faintly visible when the wings are closed, too.
Infected chrysalises won't have a uniform green color. You can check your chrysalis closely to make sure it's dark spots are mirrored on both sides. Heavily infected Monarchs may not emerge or if they do they may be deformed or too weak to hold on.
Monarch caterpillars often turn black or darkish in color when they are sick with bacterial infections. This is often referred to as 'black death. ' There are a number of other bacterial infections or viruses that monarchs can get as well.
NPV (Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus) Commonly referred to as black death, your caterpillars will deflate, turn black, then liquify like something out of a horror movie! This virus can also affect chrysalides as the entire monarch chrysalis turns black.
The silky white strings show the maggot has left the caterpillar or pupa. Infested pupa will be discolored with brown, black or rust spots or you may see small holes in it.
But sometimes a chrysalis will begin to show black, through the cuticle, even two or three days before it emerges. The black spots are patchy, not symmetrical. Yes, those dark spots are maturing OE spores.
What's that red stuff? Butterflies excrete a red liquid which is sometimes mistaken for blood when in reality it is actually meconium, "pupal fluid" which isn't blood at all. It is made up of waste material that is produced during the pupal stage.
Painted lady and swallowtail caterpillars are common examples. Even the monarch butterfly caterpillar, though toxic if eaten, does nothing more than tickle you when held. Instead of picking them up, it's best to let them crawl onto you to minimize the risk of harming them.
A chrysalis doesn't need much in the way of care, but you should keep an eye on it. Check the habitat once or twice a week. Mist the soil lightly if it is drying out; remove anything moldy. Once the butterfly or moth is due to emerge, check the tank daily, looking closely at the chrysalis if it is aboveground.
Does it hurt monarchs to touch their wings? Gentle handling of monarchs to test for OE or tag, for example, is relatively harmless. Some wing scales are removed with handling, so it is important to minimize the amount you handle a butterfly to reduce the risk of damaging the wings.
Chrysalises can dehydrate if they are in a dry area. In nature, they usually have plenty of humidity from the plants around it. In captivity, they sometimes die from lack of humidity. The butterflies fully form yet die before emerging.
There is also a temperature at which the interaction is optimal. Monarchs also have a developmental zero below (52.7F) and above (91.2F) which development stops. The optimal operating temperature for monarchs is about 84F.
If a butterfly falls from its chrysalis and is not immediately placed back up to hang down, its wings will be deformed and it will never fly.