Pure Amazement!

Absolutely amazing! That's the only way to describe it. As we were playing around in the yard and cleaning up the house, I noticed that our little caterpillar seemed to be changing color. It was getting almost a green/gray tinge, still kind of bruised looking and the yellow stripes were getting more brilliant at times. I stopped to check it out and it looked like it was breathing! Underneath it's skin something was moving and stretching. It was very subtle like a breath and sometimes it would go the length of it's body. It was a small ripple, it reminded me of when I was pregnant with the kids. Then the little caterpillar would curl into itself. It made me wonder if this experience was hurting him. The breathing motion was very strange and I had a feeling something was going to be happening soon, since the other one changed earlier in the day too. John needed something inside the house, so I left for awhile and when I glanced out the window I noticed that he was in an almost straight line still hanging from the back white smudge.

From the little bit of Internet research I did today, I knew that meant he was getting VERY close, so I went back outside. He was still making the breathing movements and the rippling from his head to his backside. Then I noticed that there was a split in the back of his head and there was a shiny green line that was getting bigger and bigger! His skin was tearing away and out pushed a large shiny green object. It was breathtaking! John was outside with me, so I showed him what was happening and we whispered to each other and watched as the chrysalis came out of the caterpillar's skin. Again, I would describe it as a birth. I saw the underneath flex and push itself out of the outer wrappings. The initial movements seemed to happen quickly, but it got about half way out and it slowed down. The green being was still pushing and twisting to get out of the skin, he really had to twist at times too! The bottom stayed attached to the bowl the entire time and the part of the new body that was closest to the tail end, had striping similar to the original caterpillars striping.

When things started slowing down, I ran in and grabbed my iPhone to try and get some pictures and video before it was over. In this one he has just a little more to go... It was stretched out much more than I imagined it being.

Almost all the way out and finished. That last bit was really giving him trouble. He worked at it for quite awhile. It was amazing to see the skin again. The hanging black lines was its antennae and it's face is right there too!

After it got out enough to satisfy the little creature, it sunk into itself and tightened up into the traditional chrysalis just like his other buddy in the yard. What a treat! Out of my original seven, I now have two that I can watch turn into butterflies. They have 2 weeks in there. Don't' worry, I'll document any changes :)

Here's a video. Here is the very end of the process. I'm glad I just enjoyed the moment, but now that it's over, I wish I had video. I still can't believe I actually saw this happen!