Emerging Butterflies

As you can imagine, finding six very hungry caterpillars growing on our milkweed this year was a pretty exciting discovery!  At the same time, it also meant having a wide range of butterfly phases happening all at once.  While some of our caterpillars were still munching and scrunching, others were hiding away and getting themselves ready to emerge as monarch butterflies.

Over the years, we've had plenty of opportunities to watch the different stages of monarchs grow, but being able to see them every minute of every day gives you a unique new chance to catch details you might have previously missed.  Our first couple of butterflies even came out without much fanfare or notice, as they emerged either overnight or while we were gone.  However, we knew to be watching because the coloring of the chyrsalis changes from a light green to a transparent film, which lets you see the monoarch butterfly tightly bound inside.  One thing we haven't seen is the monarch fresh out of its chrysalis.  It's obvious that a full-size monarch is clearly IN the chrysalis of course, but it's also obvious that it can't be that size when it first emerges.

It was exciting to have that close-up view on this one and better understand how that full-size butterfly was hiding in that tiny little chrysalis.  I knew that they needed some time to let their wings fill (with a liquid called hemolymph) and dry, so it was cool to watch that happen in real time.

Like I said, with six monarchs, their stages of development were sort of all over.  It was neat to watch them all hang out (literally) through each one.  It was also interesting to see how each of them seemed to be more eager to take flight than the next.

I tried to wait for Emma to release them.  After all, isn't that part of the fun of making sure they have a chance to grow to adulthood?  (Oof.  That's a parenting hit.)  The second one below on our bush had to be transferred there via a stick and remained for several hours before being scared away by the front door opening, but it did eventually take flight.

But our final one to take flight gave us a beautiful view of that transparent chrysalis, with a monarch butterfly hiding inside ...

but a short window on a final release.  Nonetheless, it was a magical journey that I hope we get to have more of each summer.  And we're already trying to find a second place for more milkweed.  🎕🦋💓

Until next time,