How to Care for Butterfly Larva

A butterfly goes through four stages during its lifetime: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Raising butterflies yourself requires an understanding of each stage, especially the larva stage. A butterfly larva, also known as a caterpillar, eventually grows wings and changes into an adult butterfly. While it is still a caterpillar, a butterfly must be fed the proper food and kept in the correct environment.

Things You'll Need

Plastic aquarium or 1-gallon plastic jar
Paper towels
Sticks
Cheesecloth
Large rubber band
Pruning shears
Small, plastic cup
Water
Vermiculite

Instructions

- 1
  Line the bottom of a plastic aquarium or 1-gallon plastic jar with paper towels.
- 2
  Fill the plastic aquarium with sticks that are long enough to tightly fit between two of the sides. Don̵7;t waste money buying sticks; pick them up from around your property.
- 3
  Cover the plastic aquarium with cheesecloth. Secure the cheesecloth to the aquarium with a large rubber band.
- 4
  Search your property for caterpillars. Look on trees, shrubs and small plants. Wash your hands before and after you handle caterpillars. Pick up caterpillars from the bottom and not by the spines on their back. Gently slide your finger underneath the caterpillar and lift it into the palm of your hand.
- 5
  Lift one corner of the cheesecloth and add the caterpillars to the aquarium.
- 6
  Feed the caterpillar fresh clippings from their host plant, which is the plant from which they were taken. Cut clippings each day with a pair of pruning shears and put them into a small plastic cup filled with a mixture of water and vermiculite. If your aquarium is large enough to hold it, put an entire plant (the same from which the caterpillars were taken) inside of the aquarium. If you purchased the caterpillar from a pet store, ask the sales expert which food the caterpillar needs.
- 7
  Remove and replace the paper towels in the aquarium every day to keep the cage clean and void of fecal buildup.