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| A Caterpillar from a Summer PastI still haven't found Parsley's chrysalis in the bushes and I suspect that she'll be ready to emerge any day now, so we may have missed our chance to watch the rest of her transformation. BUT I have lots of fennel and parsley in the garden still and, in past years, we've had black swallowtail caterpillars well into September, so there's still more time!
But for those of you who really wanted to see Parsley finish her metamorphosis, here are some shots from August of 2004 of some different caterpillars/chrysalises/butterflies of the same species. First the caterpillar attaches itself to a stem at its tail end and spins a thin strand of silk around its middle to hold it there:
Then it sheds its skin and, underneath, there is a chrysalis:
Several days later, the chrysalis becomes transparent and you can see the colors of the butterfly within:
And finally, the butterfly comes out!
I hope you enjoyed this "blast from the past." Maybe later this summer we'll get a repeat performance! And maybe...just maybe...I'll see a black swallowtail drying its wings in the azaleas in a few days. 
Garden update: We have harvested several squash, Pink Girl tomatoes, Cherokee Purple tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and a handful of cherry tomatoes every time we go out in the garden. I also got my fall seed order, so I'll be planning and planting the late summer/fall garden in a few weeks! | | |
| Parsley: Ready for her close-up
It's been 15 days since Parsley hatched from her egg. Soon, it should be time for her to transform -- I'm hoping she'll choose to become a chrysalis nearby so that I can take photos! Updates to follow...
UPDATE: Parsley has gone off to form her chrysalis. She was there one minute, and when I went back to check a little while later, she was gone. We'll keep an eye on the nearby bushes for a chrysalis, but if we don't find her, we'll have to wait for another caterpillar, I suppose. But the summer's long yet, and there's lots of fennel and parsley to attract them, so maybe we'll get lucky next time if she eludes the lens! Whatever the case, I hope she has a lovely life as a butterfly. | | |
| Friday Caterpillar UpdateOur caterpillar friend is hiding down in the parsley again:
And getting bigger by the day:
I'm planning to put a few sticks in the container with the parsley, in hopes of providing an attractive place to form a chrysalis.
Garden photos to come this weekend! | | |
| Caterpillar UpdateThe caterpillar was hiding down low in the parsley this morning, but I still got a shot of her! She's growing visibly every day now.
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