2025 lepidoptera highlights!

Next year will be 2025 and here are going to be highlights for our fairy museum. Or butterfly museum....

First we are going to raise tiger swallowtails. Specifically Eastern tiger swallowtails. Their diet as caterpillars consists of tulip trees and lilac leaves which we have scattered everywhere during summer to spring. This is our first time raising these beautiful butterflies and its honestly my dream to raise these magical beings come to our museum. So wish us luck!

Final we have three more polyphemus moth cocoons that are hibernating for next year spring. I'm pretty sure they will hatched in April. Anyways we might raise the polyphemus moth from scratch by going egg hunting in our garden. You see polyphemus moths required oak, maple, and hickory trees as host plants. Which is what we have in our property.  So to look for eggs we look underneath the leaves of each tree. Let's hope we can collect eggs to raise. 

Thats all for now will post updates on the polyphemus moth cocoons. Have a magical night everyone!

Collage time!

 

This week we did a hand craft collage of the butterfly fairy books. It's created with illustrations from the butterfly fairy tales and flutter of the butterfly fairy. Completed with a rainbow background. Hope you guys love it!

Raising polyphemus moths

 

This is prince mitch. He's a male staying with us until the weather gets warmer. Will send updates. Polyphemus moths are very easy to raise when it comes to their caterpillar diet. Their host plants includes  oak, maple, birch, and hickory trees. The caterpillar stage can take about 4 to 6 weeks before they transform as a cocoon. Now beware if they transform into cocoons during the beginning of fall like mitch did, they will likely hatch in spring or even in fall. So it's best to keep them in a cold porch, shed, or other cold place for them. After when they hatched as adults, you must release them like I'm supposed to do with mitch. Because they're lifespan is extremely shorter then the luna moth. Like the luna moth, they have no mouth parts so they can't eat at all but their purpose is to mate for life. And the circle of life of the polyphemus moth continues.

Polyphemus moth hatched in fall?

 Apparently in November 3rd morning, a male polyphemus moth hatched in the middle of fall. We're trying to release the elegant prince but will give you updates by pictures. 

Happy belated halloween

 Happy belated Halloween everyone hope everyone had a spooktacular season. Here's a poster of 2024 butterfly fairy in tim burton style

Five things ive learned about butterflies since "The Butterfly Fairy" books

 

In 2022, Spencer's The Butterfly Fairy has opened my eyes of the diversity of butterflies.  With of course a thumbelina twist. Not a ripoff. While the anthropomorphic drawings took a world filled with enchantment. I raise butterflies to help me and my team to learn about their biology. And established into their own story.

Cindy's 8th birthday has been today, in that time we learned significantly about the biology and natural history of the butterflies in her kingdom. 

1. Journey of the monarchs is truly a title worth writing about.

Monarch migration in Mexico. I don't own this photo

Journey of the monarchs is special. Because they are endangered and generations of them flock to Mexico every winter on their migration route.

2. The widespread butterflies in the world!

Painted ladies are little butterflies that travel a even larger migration route. They are found everywhere except antarctica and Australia. 

3. Butterflies in winter?

The red admiral butterfly can survive arctic winters hibernating in the snow.

4. Camouflaging is the key to live

The morpho butterfly is one of the most beautiful butterflies, but with their wings closed they are a dull brown with eyes pots that look like owl eyes.

5. Caring for an injured butterfly 

It's possible to repair a broken butterfly wing with a bird feather and some glue. 

Happy 8th birthday to the princess of the butterflies:

 Cindy White. 

Today we had posted a video on YouTube base on a true story. Check it out.