A few months ago we visited the Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory. It’s a place where they hatch butterfly. We learned that some of their butterflies came from the Philippines. In fact I saw some in the hatchery window. They are beautiful and unique.
I remember when I was a little girl I used to catched butterflies and dragonflies in our field. I was very happy then when I caught them. They were everywhere. Now I can’t see any butterflies around unless I go to conservatory.
Abby had a great time wandering around.
Butterfly Egg
Female butterfly carefully lay their egg on leaves of the caterpillars host plant. she will attach the egg to the leaf with an adhesive.
Caterpillar Hatches
The shell, or chorion is often the first meal for the cater-pillar. As the caterpillar ages , it will shed it’s skin to grow bigger. this is called molting. Caterpillar grows each stage between molting is called an instar. Caterpillars have an average of 5 instars. Most caterpillar eat only plant material and will prefer some plants to others.
Getting Ready To Pupate
The caterpillar will hang in with J-shape from a pad of silk attached to a stem. Soon it will shed it’s larval skin and reveal the soft chrysallis in side.
Pupa or Chrysallis
Inside the crysallis the caterpillar changes to a butterfly. This process can take from a few weeks to a few months. Many chrysalids use camouflage to protect them from predators.
Butterfly Emerges
When ready, the butterfly will split it’s pupal shell and emerge. It will then hang beneath the shell and pump it’s wing veins full of fluid to expand it’s tiny, crumpled wings. In 1 or 2 hours it’s wings will fully dried.
Hatchery Window
Simply Digital 
