Life Is But A Dream: Bug's Life: The Butterfly Experience

By Chase and Avery Merrill

The last few months, we have been observing and recording the growth and development of caterpillars changing into butterflies. We will post several pictures of each stage of the caterpillars' development with a paragraph describing each stage.

On March 1, the caterpillars arrived at our house in this cup. We gave them names (Note: Chase has no idea how we remember which one is which). The biggest one was named Laura by Courtney and Larry by Avery. We quit calling it Larry. The fastest one, Avery named Akros, which is Ancient Greek for extreme. The fattest one we called Magnus, which is the Latin word for 'big.' The smallest one we called Mikros, which is Ancient Greek for small. Avery called the last one Robert because it was absolutely average. When they first arrived, they were about 2 centimeters long and grew very quickly.

Akros, Mikros, and Robert. Akros is the one on the top, and Mikros is the one on the bottom left, and Robert is on the bottom right. The other two were hiding when the picture was taken.

The caterpillars grew very large. In a week they grew at least three times their original size. They also built a kind of web to help them get around in their cup. Their food, which is the brown stuff at the bottom of the cup, was eaten slowly but steadily. They also got kind of ugly and fat.

Once they were really big and fat (even Mikros was HUGE!), they started forming their chrysalids on the top of the cup. They had eaten all their food and their webbing as well. Magnus (he was SUPER FAT!!!) was the first to complete his chrysalis. Robert and Mikros followed with Akros close behind. Poor Laura took a long time to start (Akros was well underway by that time).

Magnus is hanging on top. Though Laura (far left) looks to be in a good position to start hanging, when she got up all the good spots were taken.

This gives you a better view. Magnus (top left, closer to you) is done with his chrysalis. Magnus, Robert (top right, closer to you), and Mikros (top right, farther from you) ended up hanging horizontally in the pavilion. Laura is the only one at the bottom, leaving the top left one farther from you is Akros.

In about ten days, the first chrysalis hatched. We think the first butterfly was Mikros. The ugly little monsters changed into colorful butterflies! It took a while for Magnus, the first chrysalis, to hatch, and for a while we thought he might be dead. But all five chrysalids hatched, very healthy! (we think)

We think the first butterfly is Mikros.

The butterflies drank the juice of mini oranges and facial tissue dipped in sugar water.

Trey thought the butterflies were very interesting!

For a little more than a week, we kept and took care of the butterflies. After that, it was warm enough to set them free into their natural habitat. Four helicopters at once flew over our house, yet the butterflies did not respond. After a little bit, we went back inside. The butterflies took from then until dinnertime to fly away. It was really fun to observe the butterflies!