A Mystery ? by: Sophie

 

It is a rare sight because you don't usually get to see it in the wild unless you are really lucky!  So it's cool to be able to see it happen.  As many caterpillars as we have raised I have only seen it twice because it happens so quickly or while I am sleeping.  

P.S.  Mute the video so you won't hear my voice and look on my mom's blog for a picture of the last time I saw it happen.

Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly by: Sophie

We've been raising caterpillars on our back porch and I decided to do a nature blog.  I am going to tell you about the stages of a butterfly.

First, the butterfly lays an egg.  The egg is white to start out and when it is about to hatch it turns brown. Then when it hatches, it will be about .5 cm.

When the caterpillar grows it sheds its skin.  He sheds 5 times.  When he is full grown he will find a spot, hang upside down with his two back legs and hang in a j-form.

After one day, he will shed one more time and when he sheds his chrysalis will be there.  It takes at least one minute for the chyrsalis to dry.

The butterfly forms within the chrysalis for about 7 days. When it is time for the butterly to emerge the chrysalis turns black.

You can tell if the butterfly is male or female by the dots on its wings.  This one is female, it doesn't have the dots.