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We
got 2 West Coast Butterflies from School. We got them on April 29,
and turned into Butterflies on May 15, 2005, The butterflies were doing
fine until today, and they both appear to be shedding their wing skin,
and the wings look transparent now. Do these butterflies shed their
wing
skin like snakes? I never knew butterflies could do this. Are the
butterfly wings too dry in the house environment? Do I need to moisten
them with a water dropper?
Just a side note: We live in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, 2
hours outside of Washington, D.C. Can these butterflies successfully
survive in this habitat, not being in California? Also, we have the
butterflies living in a clean shoebox, with a long branch from a
butterfly bush, along with little bottle caps of sugar water. We are
supposed to let the butterflies go at the meeting on Wedsnesday, May
25,
2005, but I don't think the butterflies will survive that long.
Should we let them go free in our yard now? We have 3 Butterfly bushes
they could live on. Any suggestions? We just want them to live and
survive in the wilderness and be happy butterflies. It appears that one
of the butterflies won't make it, since he just keeps shedding and
laying down. Please help now.
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This
doesn't sound very good. I'm not a butterfly expert but they sound like
they are under severe stress. Sugar water is not like nectar. Nectar is
more complex with lots of other good things in there. I would release
them immediately preferably near a nectar source. They will probably
survive until winter. I don't think they will make it much longer in
the shoe box.
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