Subject: Help: Questions re: experiment w/ our kids

From: [email-masked] (Joseph Napolitano)
Date: 19 Mar 1995 12:06:20 GMT

W have been buying diferent crysalis each year so that our children get 
to observe the butterfly emerge.  This year we purchased a Monarch 
cyrsalis. We have it in an insect container  and we noticed the gold ring 
around the top, and gold spots.  This kids remark on how real this gold 
line looks! 

The kids would like to know how the gold ring is made or  formed?

Is there any significance to the placement of the gold spots?

Prior to release, we would like to keep it a few days in a home made 
cage/conatiner.  Any advice here?   What to do for food - honey water?

We thank you very much for anticipated cooperation.

Joe Napolitano - [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (DanauSakai)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 16:37:07 -0500

Joe Napolitano

re:  Help:  gold dots and honey.
     The gold dots are rather intriging.  I am not sure anyone knows much
about them.
Urquhart (the old man of  monarch butterflies) did some preliminary
studies on them eons ago. 
Some of the spots are located in the vicinity of  the future butterfly
eye.  Removal of the spots
does not seem to affect development.  Urquhart thought that they did,
however, have a function. 
He suggested that they were light receptors and helped the butterfly
determine emerge time.  As
you probably notice, the butterflies emerge midmorning, and usually on
sunny days.
     As to feeding the butterflies, try some dilute honey soaked in some
cotton placed on a
small dish (bottle lid).  They do not do well in cages as they tend to
batter themselves trying to get
out.  They need a day to dry out after emerging, but by the second day,
they are ready to hit the
road.

Walter H. Sakai
Life Science Department
Santa Monica College
[email-masked]