Black Swallowtail Chrysalises

Sometimes when raising Black Swallowtail caterpillars inside a closed container, such as a butterfly habitat, they have the tendency to pupate on top of each other. This prevents the butterflies from eclosing properly so you must separate the pupae.

These Black Swallowtail pupae are connected with each other by silk threads.

Below is a step-by-step for how to remove and separate the pupae:

First, spray the area where the pupae are attached with water. This makes it very easy to remove them.

Once you have sprayed the area, you can easily remove the pupae.

I find it interesting the colors of the pupae are different.

Using a pair os scissors, cut the silk girdle.

Now you need to be sure to remove all the silk that is still attached to the pupae. You can spray with water to make this easier.

The silk threads were spun by the caterpillar to attach itself. They need to be removed or this butterfly will not be able to eclose (emerge from the pupa).

The silk thread can gently be removed from the chrysalis.

Once all the silk is removed from the pupae, you can place them on the bottom of a butterfly habitat. The butterflies will emerge and then climb on the sides of the netting to dry their wings.