From caterpillars to butterflies, all in two weeks!

 

Just about two weeks ago, many of the teachers in our school introduced to their students the Painted Lady Butterfly caterpillars. They were just tiny little spiney-covered things, less than a quarter of an inch long. 

I myself claimed two clear plastic cups, containing about half-an-inch deep of brown "caterpillar food" that resembled peanut butter. In one cup, there were four teeny-tiny caterpillars, and five in the other. Hardly anything to get so excited about, but I was.

                                   

I knew that very soon, the kids would be able to witness the life cycle of the butterfly, at least the part that takes place before the chrysalis, outside of the chrysalis, and if they were lucky, they'd be able to watch it emerge from the chrysalis as a butterfly.

I had reserved the instructional video, an Earth's Birthday celebration, for one class-period and showed it to my fifth grade students a few days before I received my caterpillars.

The teachers in the video got their caterpillars two weeks before EarthDay (the video looked a few years old). On Earth Day, the newly hatched butterflies were released as the children said "Happy Birthday Earth!" Well, we didn't get ours in time to do that, but we had our own Earth Day celebration sans the butterfly release (instead we had a hot air balloon and a parade).

For a week the caterpillars just ate and ate and ate that brown peanut-butter-looking substance, and each day they seemed to double and triple their size. How fast they grew! Then one day, they all started hanging from the top of the container, forming a distinct J... once you see a caterpillar hanging in J formation, you know that pupation is at hand. In fact, over night, it seemed they each turned into a chrysalis. All but one. I was hoping to observe that, but alas, it happened while I was asleep.

                                                       

All but one of my caterpillars had entered the chrysalis phase several days ago. That one is a "late bloomer", I had told my students. It may be the littlest one, but it is no less able to catch up to the rest given time and warmth. Yes, it just needed a little extra time, and he would make his chrysalis as had the others before him.

                     

 

                                    

You can't tell from these pictures, but there were irridescent spots along the length of the chrysalis. Once in chrysalis, it is safe to move them (all of them are suspended from a paper towel piece that had lined the lid of the plastic container) to the butterfly habitat. This can be anything clear, and large enough to accommodate flying insects, a tree branch, and a small bowl to hold the sugar water. A gallon milk jug with a large window cut out for viewing, clear plastic taped over the opening, will work for just a few butterflies.

I took three of them home in my smaller butterfly net-habitat so I could observe them if they were to emerge in the evening hours, and I left the other six in my classroom, in a larger net, for my students to observe during the day hours.

Thursday morning, other teachers were saying their butterflies had emerged. There was a morning announcement that "The first butterfly was born in Mrs. So n So's classroom!" I decided I better place a perching stick in my butterfly net, and mix up some sugar water (a 5% solution) to feed them after they emerged. I knew that butterflies didn't eat, but they did sip nectar from flowers. These were the instructions given to us on a piece of paper that came with the larva two weeks ago.

Yesterday, Friday, though the day was cold and wet in North Carolina, and my trailer classroom was a cool 64 degrees Fahrenheit due to loss of the heater the day before, we were met with the first big surprise after lunch time (the heater was fixed just after lunch, so we did get warm after that).

The first emergence of one of my butterflies took place during the time I left my classroom to go find some green paper for a bulletin board theme. When I returned to my quiet room, I noticed it still clinging to its empty chrysalis shell, its wings already fully extended.

                                        

Before I left to go home yesterday, I made sure there was plenty of sugar water in the sponge, and I placed the net over the computer for warmth. They would be fine until Monday, but by then, the other four will probably have emerged, and the late bloomer should be well into chrysalis stage.

When I got home, sure enough, the three painted ladies had emerged. I was surprised to see a rather large splat of blood-like fluid on the net floor, but remembered that this was called merconium, the result of wing formation, a waste material ejected from its tail. I had read that during the process of transforming whilein chrysalis form, they turn to liquid...before becoming butterflies. Hmmm. However, I haven't researched that thoroughly enough, so I don't know if it's true. Would love to know, though, about what goes on in that chrysalis before the butterfly emerges. You know, the chemical/physical development that takes place. I'll get back with you on that one.

Despite being so near them all these days, I had not seen the actual emergence. It must happen very suddenly and quickly.

                                  

Here's one Painted Lady. The undersides of her wings are dull in comparison to the rich dark orange and black on the tops.

                                             

Yes, it was another eventful week in this public elementary school, where in less than two weeks all we will be thinking about is testing... did I say will be? No, we are already thinking about testing, and modifications for testing, and where they will be tested, and how can we get the most out of these last few days to review all that we have taught thus far.

                 

Having the butterflies to distract us reminds us that the real learning takes place right under our noses, if only we could stop and observe the tiniest, subtlest changes that take place in this world.

Have you heard the flutter of the butterfly wings? I had never heard the sound myself until just this afternoon as I was sitting quietly at the computer, pondering this entry. The softest whisper of motion fluttered behind me. I turned to look into the net, and there were the three Painted Ladies, each flapping her/his wings. Wow! I could hear the sound of the butterfly flapping its wings.... that's how quiet it was in this house today.

Thank you, Lord, for days like this. Just what I needed!

Like John of New & You wrote in his entry Not What it Seems earlier this week, "Spotting even the smallest change can be rewarding."

Yes, very rewarding, indeed.

Here are some great web-sites if you are interested in learning more about butterflies, for adult and child lepidopterists.

All About Painted Lady Butterflies fun facts and life-cycle time line of the Painted Lady Butterfly

The Children's Butterfly Site with coloring pages for kids, FAQ's, lots of great photographs, and this is where I got the cute little butterfly flying across the top of my journal entry. And more!

Butterflies of Ireland a photographic guide to the butterflies of Ireland. Painted Ladies are found there, too. Actually, they are pretty much found all over the world.

Butterfly Farmer of Costa Rica an educational resource, as well as a place where you can purchase butterflies. It is a real butterfly farm, established in 1983 by a Peace Corps volunteer. They breed their own butterflies for export, as well as export butterflies from other breeders throughout Costa Rica. You can take a 2-hour tour of the farm next time you are in Costa Rica!

The Butterfly Habitat Garden at Smithsonian Institute here you can learn about the Butterfly Habitat Garden, located right there in D.C. Here you can learn about which plants attract which insects.

Adopt an Insect Project a school-wide project with unit lessons and worksheets. Students in this school (Havana Junior High) are creating a school-wide insect collection while each grade level (5th-8th grade) investigates the insect world. Procedures, lesson ideas, and activities!!! 

The Science Spot  the homesite for teachers and junior high students, with great science resources, where I found the above website, Adopt-an-Insect Project.

                                                                         

BTW, I did put a little vase of azalea flowers in the net so the butterflies can have a place to lay their eggs after they have mated, in the event I keep them too long. They would prefer mallow, but I don't have any of that. I would like to let them go when everyone else releases their butterflies, but if not, I will just do it sometime next week with all my students together to watch it happen.

 

                      

Tags: Painted Lady Butterflies