I walked in my bedroom and almost stepped on an insect. Not just any bug, but one of my White Peacock butterfly! At first I thought my sister had played a trick by putting a dead butterfly on my bedroom floor, but after closer examination I realized it was real. I have found caterpillars crawling in our house, but never a live butterfly. It must of taken a ride on my back entering the house, after my morning in the garden. It was quite an adventure with my siblings and I chasing after a loose butterfly in the house!
The next day the sun illuminated my room, and the butterfly began to fly around my room. With my hand made butterfly net I finally caught it! I took it outside and released in my garden where it belongs.
The butterfly’s proboscis had not completely fused together when I observed it. The butterfly’s proboscis is two separate pieces when it first emerges from the chrysalis. After curling and uncurls the long drinking tube, it becomes connected. Not all proboscis are connected properly, resulting it trouble drinking from flowers. Hopefully this butterfly will be able to complete the connection of the proboscis in the hours to come.
Hi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I see that you found me through twitter. I am releasing my first book, Mother Monarch in 2010. I wrote and illustrated it. It is about Monarchs and Milkweed. I am so glad to see that you are raising and growing both the butterfly and the host plant! You can see more of my work at http://www.Mindy Lighthipe.com. I have a whole section of butteflies and insects with their host plants.
i like it
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