Monarch Butterfly Wing Transplant By A Costume Designer Turns Out To Be A Surprising Success
“I am a professional costume designer and master hand embroiderer,” she said. “This was right up my alley.” Her supplies included a towel, a wire hanger, contact cement, a toothpick, a cotton swab, scissors, tweezers, talc powder, and an extra butterfly wing from one of her little girls that died a few days before.
According to McCloskey, there’s no need to drug the butterflies when performing such a procedure. She compared their wings to human nails or hair: “They do not have pain receptors.”
“The patient: this 3-day-old little boy was born with torn upper and lower wings. Let’s see how we can help!”
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“The operating room and supplies: towel, wire hanger, contact cement, toothpick, cotton swab, scissors, tweezers, talc powder, extra butterfly wing” |
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“Securing the butterfly and cutting the damaged parts away. Don’t worry it doesn’t hurt them. It’s like cutting hair or trimming fingernails” |
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“Ta-da! With a little patience and a steady hand, I fit the new wings to my little guy” |
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“The black lines do not match completely and it is missing the black dot (male marking) on the lower right wing, but with luck, he will fly” |
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“FLIGHT DAY! After a day of rest and filling his belly with homemade nectar, it is time to see if he will fly” |
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“With a quick lap around the yard and a little rest on a bush, he was off! A successful surgery and outcome! Bye, little buddy! Good luck” |























