Well, following up yesterday’s post with some sad news. The second emerged butterfly’s wing didn’t form properly and it really can’t fly. This one won’t be making the trip to Mexico and probably won’t live out the day. Its chrysalis (the one on the fennel) was so beautiful, too.
These are photos of it yesterday evening on a squash leaf and today on the lawn. I carried it to the Joe Pye weed just now, hoping it could feed, but it promptly helicoptered back to the ground. Sometimes nature just seems mean.
Thanks for letting us share your sadness. Yes, nature certainly has its twists.😔
On Thu, Sep 13, 2018 at 12:08 PM A Moveable Garden wrote:
> mmwm posted: “Well, following up yesterday’s post with some sad news. The > second emerged butterfly’s wing didn’t form properly and it really can’t > fly. This one won’t be making the trip to Mexico and probably won’t live > out the day. Its chrysalis (the one on the fennel” >
Not a post to like really. What a shame. They’re so beautiful that even the loss of one is a tragedy.
It’s so sad. I feel like the caterpillar went into the chrysalis ready to become a butterfly, ready to feel the freedom of flying and soaring through the sky, and then came out of the chrysalis without that freedom, more damaged and just as grounded as when it went it. I know that’s anthropomorphising, but that’s where my mind goes.
Although sad for the butterfly, the bird who finds it will be happy.
Doubtful. Only a few species of birds seem to eat the adults, possibly because of the high levels of toxic and bitter cardiac glycosides they ingest in milkweed.
Oh, of course. Well, a spider might be happy! There must be someone who will benefit from its death.
Spouse cut its wings to make them more balanced and help it fly more easily. It was last seen a day or so ago on a Joe Pye weed flower, so maybe it will have a few days of flight before it dies. (It won’t make it to Mexico like that, but if it can fly and eat it could perhaps enjoy its short life here.)