In April, mourning cloak caterpillars (Nymphalis antiopa) matured in our ornamental plum tree and became chrysalises.
I brought one into the house in a bug box hoping to catch the moment of transformation as it emerged as a butterfly. Resources said the metamorphosis should take 10-14 days. On the 12th day after forming a chrysalis, "Morty" emerged. As you might have guessed, one minute the chrysalis was hanging motionless, a half hour later I walked by and he (it) was pumping fluid into unfurled wings.
We missed the moment of emergence, but we still had the thrill of seeing how the black spiky caterpillar metamorphosed into a delicate winged butterfly. On the bottom of the bug box was a drop of fluid from inside the chrysalis. Some sources say this is extra pigment. Amazingly, when I washed out the box, the water turned an orange-pink.
I always think twice about bringing a wild thing into the house because they belong outside. They have evolved to survive warm days and cool nights (saving a bird). We were diligent to maintain an even temperature and humidity, and to keep the enclosure out of direct sunlight.
At the same time, we watched a second chrysalis that was outside. The caterpillar had attached to the bottom of our "Welcome" sign 36 hours after the one we had in the house. We hoped to catch this second butterfly as it emerged, but...
As day 14 came and went without the color changes we had seen in the chrysalis in the house, we wondered if the cool night-time temperatures had delayed the transformation. We continued to watch the chrysalis and as the daytime temperatures warmed up, I started to see the yellow coloring coming through the chrysalis wall that had heralded the emergence of Morty.
Then hot dry winds began to blow. I kept hoping the butterfly would emerge, but yesterday the color seemed intensified. (see original coloring) It appeared to be dehydrating.
This morning the story ends. The photo shows a small hole gnawed into the side of the chrysalis. Some other insect has preyed upon the unlucky mourning cloak before it could complete its metamorphosis.
Morty is flying about the yard and hopefully some of its siblings are as well. I hope they will contribute to the next generation of mourning cloak butterflies.
On a recent trip to Orcutt Ranch Park, I saw a number of butterflies: mourning cloak, painted ladies (Vanessa cardui), western swallowtail (Papilio rutulus), and anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon). Check out a video of this Hidden Garden in Los Angeles at TheEarthMinute.com.
Inali and I went for a walk this morning and came across an exterminator at a neighbor’s house. This always raises my hackles.
- How can people think that spraying chemicals to kill one kind of animal doesn’t have an unintended affect, in some way, on other animals, including humans?
- If they have to keep doing it on a regular basis, why don’t they question the usefulness of the practice?
Anyway, in this instance the bigger frustration was that emblazoned on the “we kill bugs” insignia was a green lacewing (Chrysoperla plorabunda). 
This insect is an important predator species. As a juvenile it eats aphids and other insects.
This is an example of an insect you should encourage to live in your yard. You will not do that by spraying insecticide which kills nondiscriminatively.
My neighbors right next door have an exterminator service that sprays all around their house every four months. (I know this because I stand at the side gate, making sure they do not spray into my yard.) The neighbors have been doing this for 15 years and they continue to have an ant and roach problem. And here’s the topper, their three grandchildren, all under the age of five, play in that sprayed grass.
Right next door, we do not have a problem.
Because of our tortoises we have never used sprays in our yard. For the first few years that we lived here we did put out ant bait in containers and snail pellets in the front yard. The pest species populations would ebb, but always return. Then we stopped completely to see what would happen.
We also started removing the water-hungry, exotic ornamental plants and replaced them with native plants. Our ant problem began to decline. The ants that cause problems all along coastal California are an invasive species, Argentine ants (Iridomyrmex humilis). Our native plants are less willing to give away sweet sap to insects. They have tough waxy coverings or hairs that thwart Argentine ants. This South American ant species also requires water. Routine shallow watering provides the perfect habitat for them to thrive. They don’t create deep nests, they stay close to the surface. A dripping faucet beside a stepping stone is their idea of paradise. Reduce that regular watering, fix leaky plumbing, and it becomes harder for them to make a living.
I do still have ornamental roses, but if my roses are insecticide free the green lacewings and the lady bugs, as well as the bushtits and wrens keep the insect population to a minimum.
When you build a house, you are building it on land where other creatures lived before you. Like any landowner, they will try to reestablish their right of ownership. Other insects will come if habitat is offered. If you create a water-dependent English garden in a southern California Mediterranean climate, you are creating an oasis for invasive exotic pest species.
Native plants are just as beautiful and native insects have predator species that keep them in check without my lifting a finger.
So stop spraying and the next time you see a green lacewing thank it for the job it does in your garden.
