Care and housing
Caterpillars make great pets, both for children and for adults. Butterflies are also terrific pets as long as their special needs regarding flying space and food are met.
Taking care of caterpillars
Housing caterpillars
An enclosure for caterpillars can be really simple; it just needs to be big enough, ventilated, escape proof and safe. The enclosure should allow all caterpillars to have around 3 times their bodysize in extra floor space. A plastic box for 10 caterpillars of 6 cm in lenght should have around 25 x 25 cm floorspace. Every caterpillar should be able to feed without having to touch other caterpillars.
A lid with proper ventilation will make the enclosure escape proof. Often caterpillars do not move a lot, except for searching for food or searching for a place to pupate.
A safe enclosure does not contain any sharp edges or objects where the caterpillar can get stuck under.
The enclosure does not need any decoration, because it will be filled with the food plants of your caterpillar. On the floor of the tank you can place tissue paper to absorb any water of droppings.
A lid with proper ventilation will make the enclosure escape proof. Often caterpillars do not move a lot, except for searching for food or searching for a place to pupate.
A safe enclosure does not contain any sharp edges or objects where the caterpillar can get stuck under.
The enclosure does not need any decoration, because it will be filled with the food plants of your caterpillar. On the floor of the tank you can place tissue paper to absorb any water of droppings.
Feeding your caterpillars
Caterpillars eat a lot. Feeding them enough of appropriate fresh food plants is essential for their health and growth. Caterpillars eat one or more different kinds of leaves. When a species eats different species of trees or bushes, it is good to offer several of these species to ensure a diverse menu.
When the caterpillars are small and do not eat a lot, you can feed them either by offering their food plants in a glass of water or by just placing the leaves on the floor of the enclosure. When you put the leaves in a glass of water, like cut flowers, the leaves stay fresh for a long time (around one week). When you place them on the floor, they need to be replaced often because they will dry and become uneatable. Caterpillars only eat fresh leaves that have enough water.
When the caterpillars are small and do not eat a lot, you can feed them either by offering their food plants in a glass of water or by just placing the leaves on the floor of the enclosure. When you put the leaves in a glass of water, like cut flowers, the leaves stay fresh for a long time (around one week). When you place them on the floor, they need to be replaced often because they will dry and become uneatable. Caterpillars only eat fresh leaves that have enough water.
Keeping the environment suitable for your caterpillars
Caterpillars require some moisture to keep their skin moist and to drink. Not all species need the same amount, how much a given species needs can be read at the caresheet of this species. The best way to supply water to your caterpillars is by washing the leaves you give to them with clean water. The droplets that stay on the leaves will give the caterpillars their necessary moisture.
The temperature at which you keep your caterpillars will determine their health and growth speed. Every species has its own specific temperature in which it will thrive. Keeping caterpillars at a lower temperature than their optimal temperature will reduce their growth speed a lot and can be detrimental to their health.
The temperature at which you keep your caterpillars will determine their health and growth speed. Every species has its own specific temperature in which it will thrive. Keeping caterpillars at a lower temperature than their optimal temperature will reduce their growth speed a lot and can be detrimental to their health.
Cleaning
You need to clean the tank of your caterpillars every day. Caterpillars produce a lot of dropping which, in combination with moisture, can host mold and bacteria. When you use paper tissues at the bottom of the enclosure, you can just remove this paper and replace it with fresh paper. This will take only a few minutes.
When cleaning the enclosure you also need to remove any old leaves and stalks of the leaves.
When cleaning the enclosure you also need to remove any old leaves and stalks of the leaves.
Retrieving the pupae, chrysalis and/or cocoon
When the caterpillars reach their last stage of development, they will try to find a suitable place for pupating. They will generally move around a lot and try to find a good spot to make its cocoon. When you see this behavior, make sure you have enough space available for all caterpillars to pupate at. If the current enclosure is not suitable, transfer all caterpillars that are ready to pupate to a more suitable enclosure. When you find a cocoon, carefully remove it from the place where you found it and place it in a separate enclosure (without caterpillars). Keep this enclosure rather dry, but not completely without water. You can lightly mist the substrate at the bottom of the enclosure (e.g. tissue paper).
(Left, Pupa of Orange-Spotted Tiger Clearwing Butterflies)
(Left, Pupa of Orange-Spotted Tiger Clearwing Butterflies)
(above, the cocoons of an Atlas moth or Attacus Atlas, covered in silk)
Taking care of butterfly pupae, chrysalis or cocoon
(Right This female Atlas Moth just got out of her cocoon. You can see a bit of how I hung the cocoons.)Hanging the cocoons
The enclosure where you will hang the cocoons in should be at least twice as big as the wingspan of a butterfly in all directions from the pupa. To hang the cocoons, use a needle and thread to put a bit of thread through the pointed end of the cocoon. Make sure not to touch the pupa inside! You can hang the cocoon from the thread. You can also use a pin to hang the cocoon. Hang the pupae on a wooden stick or something where a butterfly can get a hold of (so no metal or plastic). All the sides of this enclosure should be made of mesh or fabric to ensure that the butterfly can walk up on the walls if it happens to drop to the ground.
The enclosure where you will hang the cocoons in should be at least twice as big as the wingspan of a butterfly in all directions from the pupa. To hang the cocoons, use a needle and thread to put a bit of thread through the pointed end of the cocoon. Make sure not to touch the pupa inside! You can hang the cocoon from the thread. You can also use a pin to hang the cocoon. Hang the pupae on a wooden stick or something where a butterfly can get a hold of (so no metal or plastic). All the sides of this enclosure should be made of mesh or fabric to ensure that the butterfly can walk up on the walls if it happens to drop to the ground.
he pupae of these butterflies are not covered in a cocoon. You cannot easily hang them on a thread because it can harm the pupae.
Environment and care for pupae / cocoons
Butterflies are around 8 days until some months in their pupal stage. Make sure the temperature and humidity are suitable for your species of butterfly. Moth cocoons or silk-moths that pupate in a cold country or pupates in winter months might be dormant so keep the cocoon the same temp
(Left, an opened cocoon to expose a pupae of an Attacus Atlas moth)
(Left, an opened cocoon to expose a pupae of an Attacus Atlas moth)
(Above) The whole life cycle of the Attacus Atlas moth, largest lepidoptera know yet not the longest, only the largest surface area
egg-caterpillar: 00:00-02:00
cocoon & pupae: 02:01-04:14
Adult: 04:15- 06:60
egg-caterpillar: 00:00-02:00
cocoon & pupae: 02:01-04:14
Adult: 04:15- 06:60
Taking care of butterflies and/or moths
When you get butterflies or moth out of your pupae, you can choose one of two things; release the butterflies (not tropical moths or butterflies) in nature or keep them as pets. You can only release species of butterfly that are native to your country. When you want to keep butterflies, you have to meet the needs of this beautiful flying creature in temperature, food and space.