Things You'll Need
- Magnifying glass
Instructions
Locate a moth cocoon or butterfly chrysalis. Find these outdoors in parks, woodlands, meadows, or suburban yards. Teachers may want to purchase a butterfly house and kit to raise butterflies inside the classroom. Find moth cocoons close to the ground, usually attached to shrubs, leaves, fences and similar objects. Some moths even place their cocoons directly onto the ground. Butterflies typically affix their chrysalis to more open places, such as shrub leaves.
Using the magnifying glass, examine the cocoon. The pupa sits inside the cocoon, encased in the hard shell. The pupa attaches the cocoon from silks woven from a place on its abdomen. You may not be able to see the pupa. Do not try to open the cocoon or chrysalis to see the pupa, as this may damage or kill the insect.
Determine if you have a moth or butterfly cocoon or chrysalis. Moth cocoons are brown, gray or other dark colors. Some moths incorporate dirt, feces, and small bits of twigs or leaves into the cocoon to camouflage themselves from predators. Butterfly chrysalids shine with a golden metallic color.
Watch for the moth or butterfly to emerge. Check daily. It may take days or weeks, depending upon the species. Do not try to help the insect emerge. Let nature take its course. The butterfly or moth will emerge and need a day or so to sit, stretch and dry its wings. Interrupting this process may cause lasting harm to the insect, such as malformed wings. As with many things in nature, watch, observe and enjoy, but don't touch!
Enjoy the beauty of butterflies and moths in the garden throughout the spring and summer by planting a butterfly garden. You'll not only feed the emerging pupae, but provide food, shelter, and breeding spots for subsequent generations.