The Butterfly in my Office

I was just going about my day last Wednesday when I finally puttered into my office to get some work done and I saw a butterfly, flitting about in the container on my desk!

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

I had expected the Black Swallowtail Butterfly to emerge from its pupa around July 14, so I wasn’t even on watch yet. Still, it was exciting to see the beautiful butterfly.

Feeling compelled to release her into the world as soon as possible, I cast aside my plans to bring her to a local patch of prairie.

And then I cast her aside. She took off without attracting the attention of the birds feeding in my neighbor’s yard. Thank goodness–how awful would it have been to watch the swallowtail get swallowed on her first flight?

{shudders}

Curious to know what happened in that chrysalis during the critter’s 10-day metamorphosis? Here’s a good explanation and here’s another one that includes 3-D scans of the process.

Here she is when she was just a baby. She’s come along way since I first found the hungry little caterpillar munching the carrot greens in my garden. Look at her go! I was amazed that I was able to record this with such high quality on my phone. They grow up so fast.

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