Monday, July 20, 2009

My Queen Caterpillar Prepares to Make a Chrysalis

Queen caterpillar day 7

This caterpillar just shed it’s skin. It is now going back to eat it! Caterpillars have to shed their skin because they don’t grow.

queen caterpillar 8 days old

This caterpillar has changed a lot in just eight days! It takes a lot of leaves to reach this size.

 queen caterpillar 9 days old

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These two caterpillars lived together since they were tiny caterpillars. They seemed to get along well compared to some  other moody Monarch caterpillars I’ve raised. When two caterpillars meet they will sometimes nip at each other or even knock the other off the plant. You shouldn’t have to worry about injury unless you are low on food.

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The Queen’s chrysalis looks like a Monarch chrysalis. Just after a Queen caterpillar makes a chrysalis you can see stripes on the front of the chrysalis.

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