How to catch butterflies

Video: How to Catch a Butterfly without Hurting it

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 3: Catching butterflies with a butterfly net
Method 2 of 3: Handling a Caught Butterfly
Method 3 of 3: Collecting caterpillars
Additional articles

If you want to catch butterflies to study, you have several options. Naturally, you can use a landing net, although in some places this requires a special permit. You may not catch adult butterflies at all, but collect caterpillars - they are easier to catch, and you can follow the process of transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly.Catching butterflies is prohibited in many nature reserves and national parks, and some species are protected by law. In view of this, you should first familiarize yourself with what types of butterflies are protected by law. Better to catch butterflies in your garden or in your backyard.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Catching butterflies with a butterfly net

1 Get a good landing net. In fact, baby nets are not very convenient for catching butterflies, as they are too short and can damage insects. It is better to use a landing net with a longer net to avoid hitting the butterfly with the rim.
- The depth of the net should be at least 50 centimeters.
- It should also be borne in mind that in some areas a permit to use a landing net is required. Check your local laws about this.
- Choose a net with a rim wide enough so that the butterflies can easily pass into it. However, the rim should not be too wide, otherwise you will be uncomfortable handling the net. You also need to see through the mesh. The net should be large enough so that air resistance does not impede the movement of the net.
- Choose a landing net with a handle that is strong enough to prevent it from breaking on impact on the ground.
2 Choose a suitable location for catching butterflies. Usually, butterflies can be found on lawns and in the field, although your backyard will do just fine. If you plan on catching butterflies in your garden, plant plants that will attract them. For example, butterflies are attracted to flowers of calendula, milkweed, buckwheat, zinnia and heliotrope.
3 Look for seated butterflies. You can try to catch the butterfly on the fly, but it is much easier to do this when it is sitting. Look for butterflies that sit on flowers, drink nectar, or take a bed.
- In the tropics, butterflies usually camp under leaves and branches. They can also be found there in areas with a temperate climate in rainy or cloudy weather.
- In temperate climates, butterflies also spend the night on the tops of the grass or on the leaves.
- Remember that some butterflies have beautiful camouflage colors that blend in with their surroundings. It takes some effort to find these butterflies.
4 Sneak up to the butterfly. If possible, try to quietly and slowly approach her from behind. Once you are within reach, place the net over the butterfly. Do this with a quick motion so that the butterfly does not have time to escape.
5 Catch the butterfly on the fly. You can try to catch a flying butterfly, although this is much more difficult. The best way to do this is to sneak up behind the insect first. Then you should quickly wave the net so that the butterfly is in it, and lower the net so that the insect does not fly out of it.
6 Bend the mesh. Once the butterfly is in the net, turn the net over so that the net rests on the rim and closes. As a result, the insect will not be able to fly out of the net. For this reason, it is also advisable that the net be long enough so that you can throw it over the rim without damaging the bow tie.

Method 2 of 3: Handling a Caught Butterfly

1 Take the butterfly. If necessary, you can take the butterfly with your hand. To do this, gently grasp the wings folded together just above the body. This will not harm the butterfly, unless it is very fragile. For example, monarchs have fairly strong wings. You can also flip the butterfly upside down to calm it down.
2 Set aside the butterfly for a while. Caught butterflies can be folded into a tracing paper envelope - such envelopes are used to store postage stamps and coins. These envelopes are translucent and made from waxed paper. You can also use a small triangular envelope.
- Be sure to write all required information on the outside of the envelope. Use indelible ink for this.
- You can indicate on the envelope the sample number, date, time and place where you caught the butterfly. It can also be noted whether there were butterflies of the same species nearby.
3 Transplant the butterfly into the cage. If you intend to keep a butterfly in captivity, then when you return home, it should be transplanted into a cage. It is best to use cages with nets or screens for butterflies. In this case, the butterfly should be provided with a suitable nectar or water with sugar.
- It is best not to use a glass or plastic cage, as the butterfly will not be able to walk on it.
- Some butterflies go without food. However, most butterflies still feed on nectar or sweetened water.
4 Kill the butterfly if necessary. You can do this right in the net to avoid damaging the wings. Simply squeeze the middle segment (chest) of the insect's body with your fingers so that the butterfly stops fluttering. Then you can take it out of the net and place it in an envelope.

Method 3 of 3: Collecting caterpillars

1 Find plants that butterflies like. For example, the monarch's caterpillars can be found on milkweed. Decide which butterflies are of interest to you, and find out what they eat, where they lay their eggs, what their eggs and caterpillars look like.
- Note the leaves in the shade gnawed by the caterpillars. For example, euphorbia beetles can eat leaves in the sun, while the monarch's caterpillars prefer to feed in the shade.
- Get closer to the plant. Some caterpillars are very small, no more than 5-6 millimeters, while others are 2-3 centimeters long. Butterfly eggs are also very small. For example, a monarch's eggs look like tiny white balls.
- Don't pack too many tracks from one spot. Leave some of the caterpillars free to grow.
2 Place the collected caterpillars in the food bucket. A 20 liter bucket can hold 5 to 10 caterpillars. Place enough food for the caterpillars, such as milkweed leaves, in the bucket. If caterpillars eat more than one species of plants, diversify their diet. In addition, you should cover the bucket with an air-permeable lid so that the caterpillar excrement dries out and does not harm it.
- You can also use a smaller capacity - the main thing is to provide adequate ventilation.
- You can place tissue paper or clean newsprint at the bottom of the bucket to collect waste.
3 Replenish food supplies as needed. If you put leaves on the bottom of the bucket, add new ones periodically. You can also place the small branches in a glass of water, which will keep the leaves fresh longer, and you will need to replenish less often.
- If you put a glass of water on the bottom of the bucket, cover it on top to prevent the caterpillars from falling into it and drowning.
- You can also spray the leaves with water to keep them moist. This will provide your caterpillars with the moisture they need.
4 Clean the container. The track container should be cleaned regularly. This can be done once a day. Remove dirty paper and replace it with clean paper. Dead or dried leaves should also be removed as the caterpillars only feed on fresh leaves.
5 Provide pupation sites. Most caterpillars prefer branches and leaves, so provide similar pupation sites. After the pupa is formed, it can be transferred to a separate cage. This cage should be kept sufficiently humid.
- If the caterpillar pupates in the fall, it will most likely remain in its cocoon throughout the winter. If during this time she does not die, she will turn into a butterfly.
- Make sure that the pupa is at a sufficient height. It should be suspended (for most species of butterflies) so that the insect has enough room to hatch. Hang a leaf or branch with a pupa over the bottom of the cage.
- You can also glue the cocoon. Apply a drop of low-temperature hot glue to a piece of paper. Wait for the glue to cool, but still liquid, and place the top of the cocoon in it. Let the glue dry and secure the piece of paper with tape or a pin where the hatched butterfly will not be cramped.
6 Watch the chrysalis. When it changes color and darkens or becomes transparent, it means that the butterfly will hatch soon. Be sure to spray the cage with the pupa with water. Once the butterfly is ready, it will hatch within a few seconds, so try not to miss this moment.