Tag Archives: caterpillar

Finishing up

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My beautiful, lush Dutchman pipe has been chewed down to almost nothing as the polydamus swallowtail caterpillars continue to go through all their instars. There were quite a few that were brought into our butterfly house, with many finally finishing up its caterpillar stage, getting rid of the last of its waste, creating its silken girdle and creating its either green, or brown chrysalis.

The caterpillar getting rid of the remains it does not need for its next stage, the chrysalis.

We have six that have made its silken girdle, getting ready to finish off its chrysalis. There are two very close to each other with a monarch caterpillar hiding in the below photo. We had quite a few caterpillars decide to make its chrysalis on a milkweed. I guess the plant will be staying in the butterfly house for a good two weeks.

So far we have three chrysalis as of this morning from this batch of caterpillars. There are eight caterpillars still either eating or finding their destination to start their chrysalis. The polydamas are certainly taking over our butterfly house right now.

As always, click on the link for more information and photos of the polydamas swallowtail: https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/polydamas-swallowtail-butterfly/?frame-nonce=f0243aad30

Baby caterpillars everywhere

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I found so many baby polydamas caterpillars in the garden this morning. Just briefly scanning the Dutchman pipe, I found four different clusters of caterpillars, which at this stage of its instar is incredibly common. They explore on their own when they get larger.

I now have three different Dutchman pipe plants thriving in the garden, all vining up an archway and across a rope meeting together. The abundance of large green leaves, I am sure will soon disappear as the caterpillars continue to grow.

Be sure to check my polydamas butterfly page for more information about the life cycle, which of course shows many photos from our gardens:
https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/polydamas-swallowtail-butterfly/

No. 130

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Four more monarch butterflies hatched successfully today taking our total count to 130 that we have released.

My husband built our first butterfly house on June 13, 2021. It has since been downsized and moved on our porch, as something was breaking through the screen to take the chrysalis when located outdoors. Our first monarch butterfly hatch was on June 23, just 10 days later. Our caterpillar raising has not been consistent since last June, until the past few months, as we have had a healthy supply of new caterpillars continually entering our butterfly house and finishing its life cycle. When you start to raise caterpillars, you see first hand that not all make it to a butterfly.

For more information about monarch butterflies, as well as photos from our garden, click https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/monarch-butterfly/?frame-nonce=efe6bbc090

Nature at its finest

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https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519_080334.mp4

As I was heading out for my morning exercise, I of course had to take a detour through my front butterfly garden. I spotted this monarch beauty depositing eggs on our giant milkweed.

The best, though, was closing my front door to see a new chrysalis right below our window. It’s amazing how much activity takes place over night.

There was more excitement in our butterfly house. A gulf fritillary hatched this morning, our fourth one we have raised from caterpillar.

New skin

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I have always only found the remains of when a caterpillar molts, sheds, its skin. I have never witnessed the process in person until today when I took a peek into our butterfly house.

https://sweetbutterflybliss.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220518_125618.mp4

According to author Thomas C. Emmel of “Florida’s Fabulous Butterflies,” the caterpillar is comprised of chitin, a hard material that is somewhat like fingernails. With this type of skeleton, the author said, it does not grow, which is why the caterpillar, depending on the species, can molt up to nine times. The final stage of its molting is pretty incredible as it prepares to become a butterfly.