Mission Accomplished! The old website is now split into two sites; one for educational information and one for shopping. This took many weeks and delayed this newsletter; we apologize!

People found it annoying to search for educational information with 'buy now' buttons on the pages.

Others found it hard to find the item they wished to purchase with all the educational information on the site.

Now, www.butterflyfunfacts.com is the Educational Butterfly Website and www.butterfliesetc.com is the Butterfly Store.

Butterfly Fun Facts is comprised of over 250 educational pages, including butterfly and moth lifecycles, plant information, and much more. All pages are linked on the site directory page as well as each page is linked on the appropriate page that is linked in the left column.

In addition, we are pleased to have opened our new site for Stained Glass Items, www.glasswindowart.com.

It's a puzzle; a pupating caterpillar slips out of its skin and reaches around with its cremaster to grasp its silk pad. But what is holding it as it reaches?

Two small club shaped 'holdfast tubercules' hook over a clear band as well as the old skin while the fresh pupa is suspended.

Small hairs or spines face the opposite direction to hold the skin. As Monarch and other species of caterpillars pupated, we gently pulled the skin back to expose the holdfast tubercules and cremaster.

A chrysalis is a wondrous thing. Inside, life is changing quickly. Outside, it may look like a dead leaf, a living leaf, a shadow, a branch, or other object. It may wiggle or it may be frozen in place. It may be green or brown or yellow or purple or orange or black or ...

The proboscis is made of two parts that join to make a third; the food channel. With a razor blade, we crosscut the proboscis of a deceased Monarch butterfly..

Using a macro lens on the camera, we took photos. We were shocked at what we saw.

A few letters to several Lepidopterists revealed quite a bit of information. Dr. Frank Davis sent extensive information that we will share at a later date when we are able to add further photos to our webpage.

Tubes within tubes ... and more!

It's time to vote! Please send your vote to edith@buyabutterfly.com.

If you have a photo of an odd place that a butterfly or moth is pupating, please share it. We will continue to add photos to this page and create additional pages with odd pupation location photos. Thank you!

(PS If you sent the photo of a Monarch pupating on a mirror, please contact me! )

An orange Julia butterfly drinks from an orange.

Please send your suggested captions to edith@buyabutterfly.com.

This is the last chance to send in your caption before we call for a vote!

The winner of the contest will receive a $20 gift card from Shady Oak Butterfly Farm.

Shady Oak is pleased to offer one day seminars to one week internships at the butterfly farm.

Every aspect of butterfly breeding and farming is covered in this packed week. From breeding stock to egg production to larvae care to pupae care to emerging to adult care to predators to parasitoids to shipping and packing to marketing to plant production to plant pests to lepidoptera disease to USDA permits to marketing to ....

A visit to the Butterfly Rainforest is included in a one week internship.

If you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with your friends. Every 100th new subscriber (and the person who recommended Butterflies!) will receive a gift from Shady Oak.

The 1,000th subscriber wrote, "I received my thank you gift for being the 1000th person to sign up for the newsletter. It was way more than I expected. THANK YOU."

Photo right: the Smith clan (missing four due to work and illness).

Until next time, Edith, Stephen, Ester, Michelle, Christina, Rachel, and the gang