Butterfly with two tounges.

[lancaster1313]

A while ago, I ordered a painted lady butterfly kit for my daughter. Butterflies are starting to emerge this morning. The first to emerge has two siphoning parts coming from its face! :blink: I will try to get a photo when they dry enough for us to feed them. I am not sure how long they take to dry, but I will soom figure it out. :lol:

 

[LauraMG]

How fun! Did those with my son last spring. They are so much fun! We kept them until all but one had died and then I released that one. They were really fun, I just wished they had a longer lifespan! I still use the butterfly enclosure for a mantid every now and then

 

[lancaster1313]

How fun! Did those with my son last spring. They are so much fun! We kept them until all but one had died and then I released that one. They were really fun, I just wished they had a longer lifespan! I still use the butterfly enclosure for a mantid every now and then

How long does it take before they will drink? The 2 that have emerged haven't tried the sugar water yet, and I can't wait to get a photo of the 2 tounged one drinking.

 

[LauraMG]

It took most of mine a day or so to drink anything. I just balled or folded a paper towel and soaked it with the sugar water. It would usually take them a little while to realize I had replenished the supply too. They were my favorite, but I can't deal with the heartbreak of them dying so quickly again.

 

[lancaster1313]

How long did yours live for? If we keep any until they are dead, I will probably mount a couple for the kid. She had been begging me to pin something for her. We found a dying Diceroprocta viridifascia cicada, a week ago and I actually posed and dried it. I mounted it in a little display case that I made. That was not as easy that I thought it would be, :lol: but it came out pretty good. Butterflies are probably harder. I am afraid that I will rub the scales off the wings.

 

[LauraMG]

They only live for a few weeks, 4-6 if I remember correctly. That would be really awesome to pin them! I know I'm probably killing you with these added pics, but she might like this one if she likes pinned bugs! Went to the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History last week and snapped a shot.

 

[lancaster1313]

I just looked up and found out that they all have two tounges. :lol:

 

[Peter Clausen]

I was going to offer that bit of info, but I guess you beat me to it in the last post. Occasionally, the "tongues" of large moths will become discombobulated and they'll have to realign them.

(mostly just an excuse to write the words discomb-whatever-it-was)

 

[lancaster1313]

Lol, I thought it was some kind deformity. :blush: I learn something every time I research different inverts.

 

[hibiscusmile]

very interesting!