better late than never

I successfully reared my first insect in about 30 years. I found a larva on the sidewalk - it was large, and that's often a sign that they are looking for a place to pupate. I grabbed a few leaves for it, took it home, and after eating about half a leaf, it pupated. I was pretty sure it was a Compton Tortoiseshell thanks to some help from other folks, but nothing seemed to really happen. In moths, as they get ready to emerge, they turn darker - this one didn't noticeably turn (unlike the earlier one I had plucked off a house, which turned black and was dead), and after about two weeks the butterfly emerged. I wasn't able to see it emerging, and by the time I saw it, the butterfly was flopping around the container. I took it outside, and it flew away fast, but I managed to get a shot of it as it alighted on the neighbours house. It's all really fascinating. I've got a Black Swallowtail larva in the garden that I hope I can catch as an adult!

Posted on July 11, 2017 06:50 PM by mamestraconfigurata