Painted Lady Caterpillar Growing Kit 40 Count

This is a great kit for classroom studies or just watching the wonderful metamorphosis process. This kit contains everything you'll need to raise Painted Lady Butterflies from a larval stage to an adult. We have these in stock and ready to ship.

This is a LIVE BUTTERFLY CULTURE. This culture includes 40 Painted Lady butterfly larvae (caterpillars) in our extra large rearing containers with food and a vented lid design. Five caterpillars per chamber. We also include instructions for rearing and caring for your new critters. The larvae (caterpillars) will form a chrysalis on the lid of this self-contained unit. Once they emerge they can be removed to a flight cage of your choice.

This kit will include a 4 containers of 10 caterpillars, 8 pre-made food disks, 8 rearing chambers, rearing instructions and 8 Styrofoam bases. The "food disks" will be enough food for all of your caterpillars for the whole growing process, no more food will be needed.

Caterpillar (larva): The caterpillar eats continually for 5 to 10 days before it pupates. The caterpillar is up to 1.75 inches long. It builds a silky, webbed nest as it feeds. As the larva grows, it sheds its skin (this is called molting) or a instar.

Chrysalis (pupa): When the caterpillar has grown to the right size, it pupates. It hangs upside-down from a leaf (called "j"ing), branch or container lid, and attaches itself with a single silken string with a body part part called a cremaster. An adult forms from the caterpillar, whose internal structure changes completely. The chrysalis becomes almost transparent when the butterfly is about to emerge. An adult will emerge about 7 to 10 days after the chrysalis has formed.

Adult: When an adult emerges from the split chrysalis, it hangs upside down and pumps blood into its four wings, inflating them.Then it waits for its delicate wings to dry. It can fly a few hours after emerging. Be sure to have Gatorade or sugar water for the newly hatched butterflies to eat. Keep them warm and out of direct sunlight. Cut slices of apples or bananas can be given to them to eat as well. Very Important - Please note that we carry all USDA permits to ship butterflies, pupa or eggs across state lines.

Our Guarantee: We guarantee 3 out of every 5 caterpillars to become happy adult butterflies. Please do not order if below 40 degrees or above 85 degrees in your area. Our live arrival guaranty will be void if ordered during these temperatures.

Notes: We know there are many butterfly rearing kits on the internet. Why should you choose ours? First, our kit has a very large growing chamber. This makes it very easy for students to see the caterpillars growing from all angles.
Secondly, our kit can be reused over and over. Just save the chamber for next year and reorder new food and caterpillars and your ready to go again year after year.
Lastly, we are the farm that grows the caterpillars. Not a second or third party reseller. We rear thousands of caterpillars and have great experience with them. We are just a phone call or email away for help.

BUTTERFLY KIT FACTS:

Q: If a chrysalis falls off the top, what should I do?
A: Lay it on the bottom of the rearing chamber on a napkin. These are usually OK.

Q: What is the red liquid I see coming from the butterflies right after they hatch?
A: It is called Meconium. It is the leftover remains and tissues from the caterpillar’s metamorphosis. It is not blood. This is normal.

Q: What if a few of the caterpillars die?
A: You may loose a few caterpillar, chrysalis or butterfly to natural causes. If a loss is happens, let it lead to discussions on life such as food chains, germs, life cycles, predator vs. prey, etc.

Q: How long before I have butterflies?
A: Approximately 3 weeks: 5 to 10 days in the caterpillar stage and 7 to 10 days in the chrysalis/pupa stage.

Q: Can students remove the caterpillars from the rearing chamber and play with them?
A: No. Removing the caterpillars may introduce harmful bacteria. They have all the food and air they need to develop.

Q: How long will the butterflies live?
A: Their normal life span is 2 to 4 weeks in the wild.

Q: When should I release my adult butterflies?
A: After observing the adult butterflies for a few days you can release them if the temperature is above 60°F.

Q: Why are the chrysalides/pupa shaking?
A: This is a natural instinct to ward off predators. Some may shake and some may not. This means "stay away'

Q: How do I clean my butterfly habitat before reusing it?
A: Make a bleach/water mixture of 10 percent bleach 90% water. Put chamber and any other rearing chamber parts in mixture for 15 minutes. Rinse well with clean water and allow to dry in full sunlight. Sunlight acts as a UV killer and will help sanitize your chamber for later use.

Q: Can I order butterflies during the winter?
A: Yes. If it’s below 55°F outside, keep the butterflies in a cage for their full lifespan of 2 to 4 weeks instead of releasing them outside. Expect a shipping delay if it’s below freezing in your area.

Go to: Painted Lady Butterfly Kit Assembly Pictures



VERY IMPORTANT- We recommend using USPS Priority MAIL or UPS OVERNIGHT shipping options when ordering. Caterpillars that are in transit for more than one day start to become stressed and can become sick and die from prolonged travel.