Mrs B's Great Adventure (14) We wait

Top left is a newly created pupa, the final larval skin has just been shrugged off. Two days later, the chrysallis is hardened. On close inspection, the antennae, wings and eyes can be seen but perhaps not in the collage. Enzymes and imaginal discs are turning caterpllar to butterfly, rearranging, removing, growing as needed.
The pupa will remain suspended and anchored for 2 weeks. After about 12 days, the chrysallis will become transparent, the wings clearly visible and I will know whether it's male or female by the colour of the wing - yellow for male and creamy if female.
I will watch, prepare my cameras for video - answer the door bell and there will be a newly eclosed butterfly in the cage when I return!
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[kali]

such an incredible process isnt it

[Jesika]

@kali66 Thank you, I find it so and despite decades of lepidoptera breeding it hasn't lost its fascination.
j

[FBailey]

Such a fragile little creature facing such huge challenges x

[Jesika]

@fbailey It's a dangerous life, being an insect, but with luck and a following wind, next weekend we'll have some Brimstones to release.
One of the Outside Ones, recently brought in because of food shortages, has started the pupation process. I've inadvertently brought some babies too when I collected baby food from the meadow. I'll be busy until end of July!
xj

[Julienne Jones]

Wonderful! How exciting it must be to be a part of this miracle unfolding! It's no wonder we don't notice these chrysalis in the wild when they are so well camouflaged

[JoeV]

Great shots, a week isn't too bad.

[Jesika]

@julienne1 It's an exciting and anxious time, often very messy too if there are quite a lot of rapidly growing eating machines. But always worth every second devoted to them.
You might think they would escape predation, but when Penny gave me the Alder Buckthorn, only one of many pupae remained - it was a boy, BTW. We might not see them, but birdies can!
Thanks, Julienne
j

[Jesika]

@joev Thank you, Joe. I've got more starting to pupate and the conservatory table is full of boxes of larvae or pupae. All great fun and very interesting.
j