Life begins

During my morning wander in the garden, turning over leaves as I went, I found a monarch egg with a black tip, a sure sign that the caterpillar was about to emerge.  I quickly put the leaf in a floral pick and grabbed a macro lens and extension tube.  I got a fairly decent shot of the egg, which you can see HERE on FB.  Then, I kept checking it every 10 minutes or so, hoping to catch the head emerging from the egg.  Well, as luck would have it, during the 20 minutes I was inside grabbing lunch, the little guy emerged.  But, I was able to get several decent shots of it eating the egg casing, which is what you see here.  Keep in mind that the cat is about 1/16 of an inch long, so even with heavy magnification and a ridiculous crop, it's hard to see.

Scientists believe that the caterpillar eats the egg casing as a way of removing signs that would be visible to a predator.  For the same reason, each time they molt, they eat the shed skin.  Nature is just fascinating, isn't it?

Meanwhile, the largest cats are now in their fifth instar and I expect them to start looking for a place to pupate before the weekend is out.  It is always kind of a relief for me when they get to the chrysalis stage because then my work is done - all that is left is to keep them safe until the butterfly emerges; then send the monarch on its way in someone's memory.  

I am keeping a list of dedication requests and expect to release at least a hundred monarchs this season, so please don't hesitate to contact me with your requests. It means a lot to me to be able to send each monarch on its way carrying the memory of someone who was loved.  


MIL continues to do well in rehab and is enjoying the attention of the two young men who are working with her.  She's definitely getting her spunk back, thank goodness.

Thanks for stopping by!

xo
Debbi