The earliest diary entry that mentioned my fascination for caterpillar-rearing was written when I was 11 – 10 April 1996: “checked the plants and found out that the caterpillars turned into pupas [sic]!“. Now it’s my sis who gets all excited, and watches over her charge day and night. A lime caterpillar I found on one of my mom’s friend’s plants was brought back and passed to my sis for safekeeping. It turned into a pupa (also called a chrysalis for butterflies) just before we left for Hong Kong, and in the wee hours of this morning, the butterfly emerged.
These pics of previous caterpillars reared were taken with my Nikon CP4500. These are both lime caterpillars – the one looking like birds’ droppings is of the earlier instars, and as the caterpillar matures it would assume the green, plump and juicy form.
Left: a newly-formed pupa, and right: hours to metamorphosis completion.
The remains of the caterpillar’s final moult is found next to the pupa.
Fresh out of the pupal case, the butterfly rests while it pumps fluids through its wings and waits for them to dry and harden. During this time, I place it where it can receive ample sunlight.
A closer look at its coiled-up proboscis and ‘furry’ body
Ready for release, my sis and I bring it down to the gardens for a final photoshoot before seeing it flutter away into the treetops
on Feb 18th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Whey didn’t you just throw it out the window? That’s what I would’ve done.
BTW- I had a look at your Zoto pics. Why is Dofu wearing a red “coat”? Isn’t it warm enough in S’pore for her??
on Feb 20th, 2008 at 7:06 am
very delicately captured