We had a bunch of Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) emerge from their chrysalises, but one of them fell and bent its left forewing and now cannot fly :,( Does anyone know how long it takes for a Monarch wing to fix or how to help it, or will it not be able to fly at all?
I put it on an Anise Hyssop flower for now, and it is resting on it. Later I’m going to get Red Gatorade for it.
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It was kind of you to place it on a food source where it could rest and eat, but it is not likely to survive a migration, even if it is able to fly eventually. A butterfly with bad wings is easy prey. If you wish to take care of it, you could keep it in a butterfly terrarium. Otherwise, there is probably not much more that you could do for it.
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Thanks for the resource!
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From a lepidopterist friend of mine: “if they fall and crinkle the wing while its setting, it will permanently set that way and will be unable to fly. Don’t worry, the crippled butterfly will feed some spider or bird that needs to eat.”
So unfortunately the butterfly probably won’t be able to survive long enough to reproduce or migrate, but like all butterflies (and I say this as someone who loves butterflies) it’s an important food source for many other animals.
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I read somewhere that this is caused by a virus.
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I personally don’t think so (though I have nothing to back it up), it may have just been an unsuccessful eclosion.
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Unfortunately not much can be done for it. Its tough to watch nature take its course, especially in a species that’s at risk, but its the harsh reality that every organism faces.
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Welcome to the forum!
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I really hope it gets better. If not, I guess it is as others say, survival of the fittest.
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