Fly Like A Butterfly
September 6th, 2009 | Author: Shannon
Here is a picture of our caterpillar friend nibbling on milkweed. When I took this picture, I was unaware that the caterpillar was weaving a silk mat to attach to during the next stage of development: the pupa.
Here is this same caterpillar a few hours later, it has secured itself to the milkweed and become a J shape. It hung here for a few hours or up to a day.
The next day, I decided the caterpillars needed some fresh air so, I took the vase of milkweed to the back porch; I was really busy all day but came home to find a pupa (chrysalis). Here are a couple pictures of this beautiful structure.
In Rhode Island, we have a few week window in early September to watch this awesome event. The monarch butterflies begin their migration to Mexico and lay their eggs on the milkweed plants along the roadsides. For the past three years I have tried to “catch” some caterpillars. It’s really fun to watch this happening.
More later… the chrysalis will hang there for a week or two as the butterfly forms.
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It is sad to see so many of the milkweed fields in New England disappearing. The butterflies lay their eggs on the milkweed, and then the caterpillars feast before metamorphism. Unfortunately, milkweed is common to undisturbed fields and meadows, which are vanishing with development. We used to help my mom search for the caterpillars each fall so she could bring them to her classroom. Over the years we have had to travel farther and farther away to find them. Love the monarchs – save their milkweed!
We have a few nature preserves near our house where the milkweed is abundant… then also just along our road I have found many patches and in our yard. I hope to have milkweed growing all over my backyard next year!!
[...] collected caterpillars which have all become chrysalis’ and so we wait as they transform into butterflies. The [...]