The signs I look for to tell me the butterfly is getting ready to fly are -
- it's feelers stand perkily forward (all through the wing drying process the feelers are laid flat back),
- it begins flexing its wings
- it starts to climb up the foam piece to be higher.
That's when I place them outside in the sun. My florists foam blocks with toothpicks/foam pieces are perfect for that. They remain on the foam for several hours and then, one by one, they fly up into the air.
The minute I see a butterfly do its first long glide in the air, I know they're good to go. 🦋