Butterfly in the Sky
(Didn't you always LOVE that theme song?! Ah, my childhood!) So our butterfly adventure that started two & a half weeks ago has come full circle! The caterpillars grew so fast, and the first two spun their cocoons six days in on Thursday, July 7th:
By the 12th, they had all been encased for a few days:
So I performed the transfer into their mesh habitat:
...And those were the two who emerged FIRST the very next day on the 13th! (So glad I didn't put off that transfer another day!)
Sis has had the most wonderful time watching them:
They had all emerged by the 15th - exactly two weeks to the day they arrived as teeny tiny caterpillars! The only formal care they required was sugar water-soaked bits of paper towel to drink/eat from, and I have to say, I *LOVED* the way they flew around excitedly and tickled my hand as I replaced the old with fresh each day. :-) [Why are butterfly wings so ethereal & make me feel like I'm being touched by magic...while any other insect would gross me out & certainly NOT have me waxing poetic? :-P]
We kept them in their mesh habitat to observe for about five days and then proudly released them into the wild yesterday evening.
Their accompanying instructions noted that they could hang around the area in which they're released for a day or two; our eyes will be peeled...
By the 12th, they had all been encased for a few days:
So I performed the transfer into their mesh habitat:
[Photo Credit: Peach Pie. I wasn't mad, :-P just really concentrating, so I didn't kill them en route!]
[The two that weren't attached to the paper at the top of the initial cup were just supposed to be placed on a paper towel on the bottom...]
...And those were the two who emerged FIRST the very next day on the 13th! (So glad I didn't put off that transfer another day!)
Sis has had the most wonderful time watching them:
They had all emerged by the 15th - exactly two weeks to the day they arrived as teeny tiny caterpillars! The only formal care they required was sugar water-soaked bits of paper towel to drink/eat from, and I have to say, I *LOVED* the way they flew around excitedly and tickled my hand as I replaced the old with fresh each day. :-) [Why are butterfly wings so ethereal & make me feel like I'm being touched by magic...while any other insect would gross me out & certainly NOT have me waxing poetic? :-P]
We kept them in their mesh habitat to observe for about five days and then proudly released them into the wild yesterday evening.
What a neat project!! Love the photo journal, too!
ReplyDeleteI love that she's wearing a butterfly outfit for the release. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, and what an awesome project! I would have loved to have done something like that as a kid (let alone as an adult!).
ReplyDeleteThanks, y'all!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteShelley - I *so* suggested that on purpose Monday morning! ;-)
Where did you get these from? I would love to do this with my kiddos this year for homeschooling!
ReplyDeleteHobby Lobby has the kits for $20 (wait until 40% off coupon week!) and then you have to pay $5 online at insectlore.com when you're ready for them to ship you the actual caterpillars, so it's ~$17 total that way. :-)
ReplyDelete