I'm a mama!!!

About a month ago we began our journey when we sent off for our caterpillars. They arrived in a container with enough food in the bottom to get them through the caterpillar stage. For about a week they hung out in their container making webs, getting fat. Notice in the photo one is hanging upside down. This is what they do right before they form their chrysalis.

See all the brown in the bottom? That's what they eat.

Very quickly, while we were out one afternoon they all formed their chrysalids! The next stage seems to take an eternity. I think it only lasted ten days, but we were impatient! Every once in awhile I worried they were dead and would poke them. When they are bothered they shake back in forth to scare off predators (and to ease my fear that they have died during metamorphosis.)

Yesterday evening we came home and a beautiful butterfly was sitting beside his now empty cocoon. Then last night while we slept the other three made their entrance into the world. I hated we missed them coming out.

I have cropped this photo due to the nasty amount of blood we now have on our net. It looks like we slaughtered a small rodent inside their home.

She is my first baby. You can tell they still aren't good using their wings. They will start flapping them violently and end up flipped over on their back. I have really enjoyed this project. I am dreading releasing them in a few days, but I know they will be ready to "spread their wings and fly" *sniff*.