We have been anxiously watching the tiny caterpillars in the garden get bigger and bigger! I told the kids we had to wait to catch one until they were almost big enough to make a cocoon (so we wouldn't have to try to keep giving them fresh leaves every day for weeks!). So, when they all spotted a "really big one!" on their way into the house this morning, they knew today was the day! :)
The kids have decided to name him "Ted." :) Ted is a black swallowtail caterpillar and eats plants like Dill, Queen Anne's Lace, and Angelica (which is the plant we have). Hopefully we will get to see the whole process of him turning into a beautiful black swallowtail butterfly! Since we have watched a caterpillar up close for several summers in a row now and know what is coming, we are excited to watch what happens next!
One of the kids also brought a different kind of caterpillar to show us today. It was one I was not familiar with, but I have found an excellent website for identifying caterpillar species. In case any of you ever need to identify a caterpillar for your little bug lover, here is the link: discoverlife.org. It is so fun when they understand that the caterpillars are going to turn into something else, and it is really fun to be able to show them what it will look like. I will add this link to the links on my Resources page, too so it will be easy to find when you need it. ; )
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