BLACK SWALLOWTAIL CATERPILLAR UPDATE……….

I was cleaning these guys out today and decided it would show you the size between the younger caterpillar and the bigger ones that are getting close to pupating. Pupating is when the caterpillar has finished eating and is now the size to go into it’s next state that will result in the adult butterfly this is called the resting state and the caterpillar will form a chrysalis as it’s breaking out of it’s last instar [skin] it will stay in the chrysalis [it’s resting state] for a certain amount of time depending on the species of butterflly. After the caterpillar forms the chrysalis it becomes a liquid and over time it will genetically form into the adult butterfly. The butterfly will crack open the chrysalis and be able to emerge from there. It has a swollen abdomen that is filled with a blood like matter and the abdomen will pump the blood into the wing veins which will make the wings expand. It takes around an hour for the wings to harden so it will be able to fly : )

The small caterpillar was quite annoyed by the bigger one when it started to move. Remember these are all the same butterfly caterpillars they change quite a Lot as they grow. The adult butterfly is mostly black with colorful dots and other splashes of color : )

View in full size original to see the detail : )