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BUTTERFLIES AND CATSby Kayla Joy Rivers

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To make a wish come true, whisper it to a butterfly.

Upon these wings it will be taken to heaven and granted.For they are the messengers

of the Great Spirit." ~ Native American Legend ~

 

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If you want butterflies at home it’s easy. Shelter - trees or bushes to hide or keep dry Adult food - nectar from flowers or rotted fruit Baby food - the plant types the larva will feed on Basking area - to lay in the sun and warm wings Puddling area - for boys to hang out and get

nutrients No pesticides – unless you consider them a pest

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MORTALITY RATE

Only 1 out of every 100 monarch eggs will become a butterfly.

Why? Deforestation to build for humans Predators, birds, wasps, ants, assassin bugs, spiders Pesticides -BT (for corn) Roundup Mowing

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THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

Dating and Mating

The females will fight the male. If he is strong enough to conquer her she will mate. He must fly carrying her through the air. She wants only the strongest genes in her pool.

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THE FEMALE WILL LAY APROX. 600 EGGS

She will fly from plant to plant lightly touching down to taste them. When she finds the milkweed, she will lay her egg, hopefully only 1 per plant.

Here she is touching her abdomen to the underside of the leaf.She will do this for every egg.

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THE EGG ON THE UNDERSIDE OF A LEAF

Here is 1 egg

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THIS 2-4 DAYS LATER

The larva or caterpillar is ready to hatch

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A new caterpillar is born. His first meal will be his eggshell. Then he will eat the soft fuzzy fur of the underside of the leaf.

TAAAADAAAAA

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THEY JUST KEEP GROWING AND GROWING

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SHEDDING

These caterpillars eat so much they grow 46,000 times their birth size in two weeks and have to shed 5 times.

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AND YOU THOUGHT TEENAGERS ATE A LOT!

It takes about two weeks to grown fully and start to “wander”

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THE CREMASTER OR SILK BUTTON/PILLOW

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DOIN’ THE J

This will be his last shed

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A BRAND NEW CHRYSALIS

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A TWO WEEK OLD CHRYSALIS

Butterfly soup

Depending on heat and humidity, the butterfly will eclose in about 2 weeks. Cooler temps will take longer

The caterpiller’s DNA is being totally re-arranged, adding and losing body parts

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IT’S JUST ABOUT TIME!

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IT BEGINS TO OPEN

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HE STARTS TO EMERGE

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ANTENNA, HEAD AND A LEG

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ANOTHER LEG!

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GRAVITY HELPS THE SHOULDERS AND A WING

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THIS ONE WE CALL THE SLIDE

This step is very important. The butterfly must be holding on tightly as his body slides out and has to turn himself right side up . If he falls he will be doomed because his wings will not dry properly and will be deformed.

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The belly holds the fluid that he must pump through his wing veins to inflate them to the proper size.

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As the belly gets smaller the wings get bigger

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This boy is doing a fine job!

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The next step is to put the two sides of his proboscis (straw) together. If he does not do this he will not be able to nectar and will die.

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THE FIRST IN HER CLASS

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PROBLEMS

This butterfly has been affected by either OE (parasite ) or BT (a pesticide)

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WE PUT THE SICK ONES TO SLEEP BY FREEZING

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OUR BUTTERFLY BED AND BREAKFAST

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THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

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RELEASING AT A DAY OLD

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SPRINGTIME

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FALL

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OVERWINTERING IN MEXICO

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CAN YOU NAME IT?

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OUR COMMON MILKWEED

BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET IT IN YOUR EYES IT IS DANGEROUS

The only food a monarch caterpillar can eat is milkweed, and they can eat a 4 foot plant in two weeks

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SWAMP MILKWEED

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SEEDS IN THE WIND

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Milkweed Cat

Tussoc Moth

NOBODY ELSE DARE EAT MILKWEED

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THIS IS WHY WE DOIT

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OTHER BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

WE RAISED IN 2007

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SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL

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BLACK SWALLOWTAIL

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TIGERSWALLOWTAIL

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SILVER SPOTTED SKIPPER

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PAINTED LADY

Small blue eggs

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RED ADMIRAL

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BLACK SWALLOWTAIL

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SPICEBUSH

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EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL

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IO MOTH—YES THOSE ARE STINGERS

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SADDLEBACK THE MOST PAINFUL STINGS IN NORTH AMERICA COME FROM THIS GUY

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PROMETHIA MOTH

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SPICEBUSH

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SPICEBUSH

His head is right here

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GREAT SPANGLED FRIT

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UNICORN CATERPILLAR

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VICEROY

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BLACK SWALLOWTAIL

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GIANT SWALLOWTAIL

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RED SPOTTED PURPLE

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OTHERS WE SAW IN 2007

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BUCKEYE

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CORAL HAIRSTREAK CLOUDED SULFER

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Mexican Bluewing

Postman

Clipper

Orange Tiger

Julia

MISC BUTTERFLIES

African Monarch

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WHITE PEACOCK

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BLUEMORPHO

Owl Butterfly

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ELORAFrom MAGNIFICENT ME!

Tropical Birdwing

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THANK YOU!

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?