Butterfly Chrysalis Kit Instructions

Please open straight away and start taking care of your chrysalis. Remember it is a live animal.

Did you know?

Different butterflies have different looking chrysalis. Some are bright green or gold, and some look like dried leaves or even bird poo for camouflage. All of them will turn into beautiful butterflies. Please don't think your chrysalis is dead because it isn't green!

Please open your box straight away and start taking care of your chrysalis. The butterfly will emerge 2-10 days after you receive it (it can be a bit quicker in warmer weather or a bit slower in colder weather).
Locate your live butterfly chrysalis and remove it from the padding/shipping materials. The chrysalis is very delicate so try and handle the chrysalis by the silver hook.
Use the silver hook that is at the top of the chrysalis to hang your live butterfly chrysalis inside your enclosure. How you hang the chrysalis will depend on the type of enclosure you have received.
1. If you have a refillable plastic enclosure with a coloured lid- You can hang it from the lid or you can find a stick in your garden and place it diagonally inside your enclosure and hang the chrysalis from the stick. Make sure your chrysalis is high up inside the enclosure so that it has enough room to expand its wings.
2. If you have the recyclable cardboard enclosure- You can hang the chrysalis from the coloured pipe cleaner. Make sure the chrysalis isn't touching the enclosure.
Fold up a piece of paper towel and use this to line the bottom of your enclosure (flat along the bottom).
Replace the lid on the box
The chrysalis is like a sleeping bag. The caterpillar makes the chrysalis when it is ready to become a butterfly. Sometimes they can wriggle and move.
Find a warm, central position to keep your butterfly chrysalis (so you don’t miss it emerging). DO NOT PLACE YOUR CHRYSALIS IS DIRECT SUNLIGHT OR EXTREME HEAT. This includes in the direct path of air conditioning or next to the window. This will kill your developing butterfly
1-2 times per day (preferably in the evening) lightly mist your butterfly chrysalis with clean water. This keeps the developing butterfly inside the chrysalis hydrated. Continue this until the chrysalis starts to change colour.
After a few days your chrysalis will start to change colour. Keep a close eye on the chrysalis because the butterfly is getting ready to come out
Once the chrysalis changes colour, it is normally only 1-2 days before the butterfly will emerge
When the butterfly comes out of its chrysalis, its wings will be crinkled and very small. Do not touch the butterfly during this time, you will damage it’s wings
The butterfly will hang upside down and pump fluid from its body, into its wings (just like if you were to blow up a balloon)
While the butterfly is inflating its wings, red fluid may come out of it. This is not blood; it is fluid that the butterfly is using to pump up its wings. This is normal
The wings will then harden so that it can fly. You can keep your butterfly for up to 1 day and then release it into your garden.
Please note- butterflies are cold blooded and so the temperature outside will need to be above 20˚C before you can release the butterfly
If your butterfly does not emerge within 4 days of the chrysalis changing colour, please contact us ASAP on contact@butterflyskye.com.au
The butterfly can live for 4-6 months once released.

We have a few different kinds of enclosures we use to make sure your butterfly experience is the best it possibly can be.

The enclosure you have been sent has been specifically chosen by our entomologists to make sure your butterfly has the correct temperature and humidity to make its beautiful transformation.

We decide which enclosure will be best for you based on the predicted weather in your area over the next 2 weeks, and the type of butterfly we have sent for you.

Please keep your enclosure, and you can order refills for your kit next time.

Click here for a printable version of the instructions