Another monarch caterpillar ready to make its chrysalis and transform into a beautiful monarch butterfly.
Once they reach two inches they are ready for their pupa stage. The caterpillar finds the perfect destination to form its chrysalis and weaves a silk mat. It then grabs the silk with its legs to hang upside down in the “J” form.
Sometimes you capture that photograph just in time. This one, the gulf fritillary butterfly enjoying our penta flower.
Our giant swallowtail caterpillar looks as if it is in the final larval instar, number five. It is said that the head of the caterpillar looks like a snake head.
Once it is ready to pupate, it will do so on small twigs, or find a place that has a vertical structure, as it creates its chrysalis at a 45 degree angle. It will be interesting to see where it makes its chrysalis in the butterfly house.
I first brought it in to our butterfly house on Aug. 29.
This morning two more monarch butterflies fluttered away after being released from our butterfly house. A male, and a female.
