Kelly Eden, a model and artist, started raising monarch butterflies last year. This summer, she released 10 healthy monarchs from her Los Angeles garden.
But last month, two butterflies emerged from their chrysalides with small, crinkled wings. Right away, Eden knew something was wrong.
“Even when their wings [are] still wet and folded, you can usually see the telltale symmetrical shape,” Eden told The Dodo. “But theirs looked uneven and crumpled.”
Healthy monarchs emerge with soft, folded wings. Within a few hours, Monarch Butterfly Fund says, the wings fill with fluid, spread and harden before the butterflies fly away.
“If this process doesn’t go correctly, or if the butterfly has a health issue, the wings may never form properly,” Eden said.
She watched, heartbroken, as the two butterflies’ crumpled wings failed to form. In this state, they would never be able to fly.
Kelly Eden
A flightless existence for any butterfly is difficult, as it makes reaching flowers for food almost impossible. For monarchs in California, whose instincts may tell them to fly hundreds of miles to Pismo Beach or Pacific Grove for the winter, broken wings are even more debilitating.
“They’re tiny creatures, but there’s so much effort and transformation that goes into reaching that final butterfly stage,” Eden said. “To imagine all that potential cut short by damaged wings is devastating.”
Kelly Eden
Butterflies born in the summer months typically live a few weeks. Eden knew that a life in captivity was possible, walking around and sipping nectar. She wondered if this was the best choice for these beautiful creatures.
On Instagram, Eden documented her conundrum and decision: “We had to choose: end their struggle or give them comfort. We chose the latter.”
One sunny afternoon, she placed the two flightless butterflies on her knee and gently rocked back and forth on an outdoor swing.
As they moved through the air, looking out over Eden’s roses, the butterflies flapped their wings, almost like they were pretending to fly.
“They didn’t move around very much,” Eden said. “But they seemed the most alert and active when they were perched on my knee in the garden.”
Kelly Eden
It’s unclear what exactly caused the crumpled wings. Genetics, pesticides and parasites can lead to this kind of damage. Eden bets it was Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), a contagious parasite commonly found on milkweed, a monarch’s only food source.
To keep her other butterflies, caterpillars and chrysalides safe, Eden built a cozy enclosure for her flightless butterflies inside. The pair rested on soft perches, sipped nectar and walked around together.
Kelly Eden
They lived their lives peacefully and well cared for.
“Sometimes nature is cruel,” Eden said. “We don’t have to be.”
