Monarch larvae dying Q

[JJCardinal]

Hello:

I have been successfully raising monarch butterflies to emergence with larvae
provided to me by a breeder.  We raise hundreds for resale as a fundraiser for
monarch territory purchase in Mexico, and for profit.  We also tag for
migration study.

My question is this: what would cause an entire batch of 80+ monarch larvae to
die in this fashion: lay on side and ooze out a clear liquid?  Some died in
transit; others died as long as two weeks later.  This did not happen with
previous shipments this summer, and rearing practices did not change.  In four
years of purchasing livestock from this breeder or with other breeders I have
not experienced this before.  

Thank you for your reply.

Louise Dawson
J.J.Cardinal's Wild Bird & Nature Store