Our butterfly house was active during the month of November with monarch caterpillars and butterflies. Yesterday we had five that emerged, bringing our grand total to 25 released during November, 278 since we started raising them.

The more we raise, the easier it is to tell when these magnificent butterflies will emerge from its chrysalis. The top of the chrysalis will begin to expand, showing “pleats,” after it becomes translucent. As the butterfly slowly pushes the chrysalis aside, the butterfly appears with crumpled wings, which slowly expand as fluids, hemolymph, are pumped through the abdomen.

Another step of the emergence occurs when a reddish fluid, meconium, is expelled through the anal opening. This is a metabolic waste that collected inside the chrysalis. The metamorphosis is complete when this occurs.