Thursday 5 February 2009

More!

My monarch nursery has produced 2 more butterflies, simultaneously!

I noticed this morning that they were looking almost ready, with their wing-patterns clearly visible...








When I checked them maybe 3/4 hour later, a lot had happened!




Chrysalises seem to have a TARDIS quality, it's hard to credit that a whole butterfly can unfold from such a tiny space...






Images copyright 2009 Grace Dalley. All rights reserved.

4 comments:

Mekayla said...

Woah woah woah!!! A nursery! You have started a nursery! Are you sure you're not just trying to find ways to provide Nina with fresh meat? This is a very suspicious activity for a vegetarian.

Grace Dalley said...

:-) Monarch butterflies are poisonous! There's even another butterfly (not that we have it here) that mimics its markings for protection.

Course Nina doesn't care, she doesn't want to eat them anyway, she just wants to bat them until they stop fluttering. :-S

She's not as athletic as she used to be, though, and she still can't fly...

ElizT said...

Aren't they beautiful, Grace. I read somewhere that a nearly mature caterpillar which has eaten all your swan plants can be fed on pumpkin flesh; never tried it though.

Grace Dalley said...

Hi Elizabeth, I wonder if the pumpkin flesh idea is an urban myth! I know a couple of people who have tried it with no success. But maybe it has to be cooked, or something? Or maybe they tried it with caterpillars that were too small?