I dropped a crystalis! Will it die?

16 years ago

I found a monarch crystalis on the side of a potted plant (yes, this early in the year!) and decided to move it to the mesh cage where it would have better room to spread its wings after it emerges. I've moved them before, and tied the dental floss around the top and moved it towards the cage--and it FELL, about three or four feet onto the cement! I'm so upset! The cacoon has a small part that looks flatter than the rest but didn't break. It is at least a few days old.

I've apologized profusely and hung it up properly, but I should have just left it where it was. I'm so sad!

Please tell me honestly--just "yes" or "no" will be ok, you don't have to soften the blow--do you think I damaged the butterfly terribly or in a way that will stop it from living?

Featured Answer

LaurelLily
Original Author

16 years ago

It didn't die! It stayed in there for a good month, and I was sure it would never emerge, but it did, and from what I can tell he was fine (I discovered him in the evening, opened the mesh for him, he did some wing excercises, and he was gone when I checked in the morning). :)

Comments (14)

MissSherry
16 years ago
If there is no liquid oozing from it, I think it'll be okay. I'm amazed that you don't see any liquid - a hard fall will usually cause the death of a chrysalis.
MissSherry
p.s. It was so sweet of you to apologize! :)
tdogmom
16 years ago
Ditto. (BTW, the pupa of a Monarch is a chrysalis not a cocoon.) If a chrysalis has 'fallen' then I usually don't even bother with re-hanging it. I just put it on the bottom of my pop-up and make sure it has something to ciimb up upon when the butterfly ecloses. :) Good luck!
CalSherry
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MissSherry
16 years ago
That's wonderful!
Sherry
LaurelLily
Original Author
16 years ago
"That's wonderful!
Sherry"

:) It's the first Monarch in my yard this year that emerged here and didn't fly in from somewhere else.
stevoreeno
9 years ago
I FOUND ONE ON THE BACK OF OUR SATELLITE DISH YESTERDAY AND IT WAS NEXT TO A SPIDER WEB. I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO MOVE SOMEWHERE SAFER AND IN THE PROCESS... I DROPPED IT. I CAREFULLY PICKED IT UP AND PLACED IT IN A JAR IN MY HOUSE AND HOPED FOR THE BEST. I WAS ALREADY PRETTY UPSET WITH MYSELF AND TO MAKE IT WORSE... WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING IT HAD EMERGED FROM IT WHITE AND WITHOUT WINGS AND I FEEL HORRIBLE!! DO ANYONE KNOW IF IT WILL BE ALRIGHT?
Kristy Asao
9 years ago
Wow. I once had a badly damaged chrysalis that emerged with half-formed wings. It didn't survive. Yours is gonna havfta stay with ya the rest of its life. Can't survive on its own like that.
stevoreeno
9 years ago
I FOUND ONE ON THE BACK OF OUR SATELLITE DISH YESTERDAY AND IT WAS NEXT TO A SPIDER WEB. I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO MOVE SOMEWHERE SAFER AND IN THE PROCESS... I DROPPED IT. I CAREFULLY PICKED IT UP AND PLACED IT IN A JAR IN MY HOUSE AND HOPED FOR THE BEST. I WAS ALREADY PRETTY UPSET WITH MYSELF AND TO MAKE IT WORSE... WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING IT HAD EMERGED FROM IT WHITE AND WITHOUT WINGS AND I FEEL HORRIBLE!! DO ANYONE KNOW IF IT WILL BE ALRIGHT?
stevoreeno
9 years ago
My wife also has a large Leopard moth caterpillar that she has been taking great care of for about a month and it was eating non stop up until a week and a half ago... then it just stopped. Any helpful information would be awesome.
Leafhead
9 years ago
The caterpillar might be getting ready to spin a cocoon and pupate. Provide it with an area with both room and a rough surface that a caterpillar/moth can crawl on (glass is out). A mesh enclosure is best.
Does the caterpillar run around the cage a lot? This is another sign that it is looking for a proper place to do its thing.

John
stevoreeno
9 years ago
It was moving around a lot at first. .. But for the past two days it has been staying in the same corner holding strong to a piece of bark. It has been well taken care of but my wife is starting to worry.
Leafhead
9 years ago
Keep an eye on it; I'm sure it is just getting ready to start spinning. It should be fine.

John
stevoreeno
9 years ago
NOW THE LEOPARD MOTH CATERPILLAR (after staying in the same place for over 5 days) Is STARTING TO SHRINK A LITTLE AND WE ARE PRETTY WORRIED THAT IT IS DYING... AND WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.
Erica Mitchell
2 years ago
In my class we got caterpillars they cocooned and they started falling and we’re still waiting for them to turn into a butterfly