Making More Malachites

Several times over the last few years, we've been fortunate enough at MOSI Outside to be able to display the beautiful Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) butterfly in our Flight Encounter. This species is generally found only in South Florida, and is only very occasionally spotted as far north as Tampa Bay. With the current climate shift toward warmer winters (it's been several years since the last hard freeze in our area), we expect this species will expand its range here in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, we love having a chance to share this special Florida butterfly with guests.

She's laying eggs!

This year, for the first time, we've been able to add another dimension to our experiences with this amazing butterfly. To our great delight, the malachites we released into our exhibit earlier this summer mated and began laying eggs on their host plant, Green Shrimp Plant (Blechum pyramidatum), which we had provided just for them. The small, round, pale green eggs resembled monarch eggs in size, shape, and texture, and were generally laid on leaves close to where the base met the stem.

Within a few days, our eggs hatched, and our journey to raise these gorgeous larvae to adulthood began. These caterpillars proved to be quite easy to raise, although their food dried out quickly and had to be replaced almost daily. They are quite active, moving and climbing fast when moved to a holding container while we cleaned their rearing tank. We were especially enchanted with the tubercles emerging from the tops of their heads, which are topped with tiny knobs that remind us of the "deely-bopper" headbands we had as kids. (Yup, we grew up in the 80s!)

Malachite larvae seemed to grow more slowly than many other species we raise, taking nearly a month to reach full size and pupate to chrysalis. This could have had to do with the temperature in our lab, which may not be quite as warm as this tropical species could prefer. However, the overall success rate from egg to chrysalis was high, and we now have several dozen chrysalides on display. The chrysalis resembles the monarch chrysalis in color, although the small "spikes" and pointed shape clearly set it apart.

When these butterflies emerge, we'll release them back into our Flight Encounter for more guests to enjoy and, hopefully, to begin the process over again! We've really enjoyed raising this species for the first time here at MOSI Outside, and hope to make them a regular part of our exhibit going forward.