These caterpillars have been great eaters and every morning I removed the remnants of chewed and eaten leaves as the caterpillars grew rapidly. on August the 21 I posted this update of their development.
Monarch butterfly caterpillar update:
Our two caterpillars ,which we have been observing are now preparing to enter the last stage of stage of their being caterpillars Overnight they have attached their bodies to the cage with a glue like substance that they have secreted from their bodies. They are now both hanging in a ‘J’
shape. One caterpillar is attached to the top of the cage, The and the other caterpillar-has attached itself to
the side of the cage Probably by
tomorrow these caterpillars will have left their caterpillar stage and will be in their pupa (chrysalis) stage. To exit the caterpillar stage, the caterpillar will make its body move
very rapidly in a motion until it’s skin falls off. Underneath the skin is a soft green body. This soft green body when exposed to the air will harden and it becomes the hard green outer covering of the chrysalis. Within 10 to 14days a adult Monarch butterfly will emerge from the green shell of the chrysalis.
This morning when I checked on the caterpillars, they were no more. Overnight they had entered their green chrysalis stage! If all goes well they will next be adult Monarch butterflies.
I am posting this morning to Eileen's Saturday Critters which can be found at viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com
Have a wonderful weekend everyone and stay safe and healthy!
