Monarch can't fly

[MintyWood826]

I have a monarch butterfly that seems to be unable to fly. He just flutters around on the ground in the mesh cage when he attempts to and won't fly if I try taking him outside. Should I euthanize, keep him, or what?

 

[chanda]

How recently did he emerge from his chrysalis? They usually sit around, fluttering their wings, for hours - sometimes almost a full day - while the newly unfurled wings expand and harden, before they are ready to take flight.

 

[MintyWood826]

How recently did he emerge from his chrysalis? They usually sit around, fluttering their wings, for hours - sometimes almost a full day - while the newly unfurled wings expand and harden, before they are ready to take flight.

It's been over 24 hours.

 

[chanda]

It's been over 24 hours.

Try taking it out of the cage and releasing it outdoors (if outdoor release is in your plans). It may surprise you by taking off once it realizes that it is no longer confined to the cage. I have kept a number of butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, katydids, wasps, and other flying insects in pop-up cages, usually for only a few days or weeks at a time, and they seem to be aware of the confined space they are in - which could cause them to damage their wings if they tried to fly. With wild-caught creatures, there is often an initial period where they will attempt to escape before acclimating to the enclosure and settling down. With those that hatched out in captivity, they will often just hang out and flutter their wings like you describe until they are removed from the cage. Once put outside on a bush or tree branch, they will usually figure out pretty quickly that they are free and take off with the first passing breeze.

If he still can't fly, you could just keep him in the pop-up cage for the remainder of his natural life. They are easy to feed - just offer sliced oranges, grapes, or other fruit so they can sip the juices.

 

[MintyWood826]

Try taking it out of the cage and releasing it outdoors (if outdoor release is in your plans). It may surprise you by taking off once it realizes that it is no longer confined to the cage. I have kept a number of butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, katydids, wasps, and other flying insects in pop-up cages, usually for only a few days or weeks at a time, and they seem to be aware of the confined space they are in - which could cause them to damage their wings if they tried to fly. With wild-caught creatures, there is often an initial period where they will attempt to escape before acclimating to the enclosure and settling down. With those that hatched out in captivity, they will often just hang out and flutter their wings like you describe until they are removed from the cage. Once put outside on a bush or tree branch, they will usually figure out pretty quickly that they are free and take off with the first passing breeze.

If he still can't fly, you could just keep him in the pop-up cage for the remainder of his natural life. They are easy to feed - just offer sliced oranges, grapes, or other fruit so they can sip the juices.

That's what I tried to do. Yesterday, I thought he just needed more time to dry his wings, but he wouldn't fly away today either. When he flutters, it's more like flutter-jumping. He also seems to haveva harder time balancing/gripping but that might be just me. Do you know how long migration generation monarchs live?

 

[chanda]

Sorry, I don't know how long they live. I've never kept monarchs more than a day or so before releasing them.

Have you offered him anything to eat/drink, like sugar water or sliced fruit? And has he eaten anything?

 

[MintyWood826]

I've tried feeding him but haven't seen him eat. I'm about to make some new sugar water.

He flew a little inside the house when I took him out but after he didn't move much. It's a change from yesterday when he was trying to fly very hard but only succeeding in flutter-hopping around the cage's bottom.

Yesterday he kept tipping over and laying on one side. I found him like that when I came home today, but now he's just sitting there with his wings open (which was understandable in the sun, but the sun isn't out now.)

Edit: It looks like he is trying to eat but can't uncurl his proboscis all the way.

 

[The Snark]

If it's internal clock or compass is whacked, it be out of luck. Among other problems is it is strictly diurnal, a solar compass and operations manual so to speak.

 

[MintyWood826]

He passed away.

I can't bring myself to throw his body away so I'll try to figure out how to preserve it.