With 3 of the 5 caterpillars surviving inside (the last 2 weren’t looking quite as healthy as the others,so I put them outside on the milkweed plant there to either thrive on live plant instead of picked leaves or get eaten by other animals –I’m all about the circle of life!),we’ve made it to the next stage in their lives… The chrysalis!
it spun the silk that will hold it up by its back legs while it forms the chrysalis
While it’s probably obvious now that all of this fascinates me,I’m most fascinated by how such a large body can fit into such a tiny chrysalis! I really want to watch it happen sometime because if you look at the two chrysalides on the right and compare it to the caterpillar that isn’t quite there yet on its left,that’s how big they were when they started too. How do they form this shell around them and make their bodies fit? I don’t get it and I am very very intrigued!!! Stay tuned –9 to 14 days from now we’ll have some beautiful butterflies!
Caterpillar and Chrysalides