This one made its chrysalis a day or two ago. Today I see it lost its bottom attachment. Hanging by its 'belt'. Does it need help?
I was planning to take this pot to work , library, and show kids. But should I leave this stem home ? Looks precarious and I would hate it to fall off.

sallyg said:
This one made its chrysalis a day or two ago. Today I see it lost its bottom attachment. Hanging by its 'belt'. Does it need help?
I was planning to take this pot to work , library, and show kids. But should I leave this stem home ? Looks precarious and I would hate it to fall off.

Sally, I remember seeing something online about that!!...use dental floss or something

I wouldn't move it around any more than you have to, but it should emerge just fine. Maybe put some additional sticks or another plant underneath it so if it falls it will have something to crawl up on to dry its wings.

Silly me, not googling for this.. There are blogs about gluing them.. using cooled hot glue, or contact cement. Or letting them lay in a mesh cage and they will crawl up the side to hang when they're ready.

If you have a mesh pop-up that's good. I wouldn't detach what's left of the sling, though. It will need some kind of resistance to pull itself out of the chrysalis so make sure it's anchored somehow. And anything is better than nothing.

@Sallyg
If it were me. I'd definitely cut off that parsely stem and leave BST at home. Support stem on another plant or even crumpled paper or tissue or toilet paper roll so chrysallis hangs down in same position as shown in photo. I've taped and tied weak stems/brenches to another branch or a chop stick. You may need two sticks, one to reinforce parsely stem and another for botton of c to rest on. As best as I can recall, most of mine were perpendicular to the ground, not horizontal. My mental picture is a mountain climber in harness rappelling down a cliff face. I also think the chrysalis splits open along the back (away from support stick) for emergence, not like the Monarch from the bottom.

Also don't know whether yours will emerge this year or overwinter. I got some metalic thread from Joanns Fabric for my brood four years ago and use it with my Monarchs too.

Someone posted online that these guys are quite crawly when they emerge, and she lays them in the black mesh cage, and they will climb when they emerge. She sounded very convincing/experienced. I have taken the stems with chry. off the plant and pinned them into a mesh cage. so they hang in the same orientation- and will glue the fallen soldier when I get to work.

Sounds good Sally. Didn't have a mesh cage back then lol!

I pinned the stems, I tried the glue but it didn't hold, it hung by its one wrapped around thread, and all three emerged after 9-10 days just fine. One was a female, the other two, don't know as they emerged when I was at work and DD let them go.