Here's how it started:
April 2012: I managed to get my hands on a few caterpillars and decided to try to breed the upcoming adults. I set up a shelter with bird mesh that was 10ft. by 10ft. by 8ft. I filled it with nectar plants favored by the species and a passionvine (Blue Bouquet to be exact). Two of the caterpillars died, one from cannibalism, the other from a "hunger strike". The remaining four made the journey to adulthood.
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May 2012: One of the butterflies escaped through the mesh. Yeah it was miserable since it took one month to make the enclosure. I didn't know that they could escape through holes half their size! Anyway, I ordered one of those mosquito mesh covers for beds and hung it from the top of the shelter. I put all the plants in and hung the chrysalises inside a temporary enclosure. Once they hatched, I put them inside the "tent". Sadly, they didn't breed for two weeks so i let them go.
August 2012: After my trip back to China, I thought the project has ended. I was then caught by a surprise. My father told me that he collected ten caterpillars on our passionvine outside the tent. I couldn't believe it! The caterpillars then were moved into the tent and all of them made it. This time, they did breed. I got eggs everywhere on my rampant passionvine and they hatched!
Now: The third generation of gulf fritillaries are now chrysalids. The neighborhood is full of orange and silver butterflies. Every day, a butterfly that I proudly raised comes over into our garden and dances over our lawn. Most of the nectar plants have died and the Santa Anna winds are coming. I am desperately trying to find a very stable greenhouse to house the critters and the plants. This project is too successful to restart again next year.
Hope this report helps others to start a breeding program!
-Kevinator
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