Breezes of Spring

Sweet life is borne on Breezes of Spring
A tiny new bud, an egg left by wing…

Caterpillar and flower frolic happily together
With raindrops and rays amidst clement weather

Scarlet-gold leaves herald in changing light
Turning friends to chrysalis n’ seed at Nature’s delight

Creation finds rest in a white winter’s slumber
Silent snow cradles the awaiting season’s wonder

Out of the morning’s dew a yearning sprout does appear
Beholding a familiar winged dancer spying it’s tear

“Oh, bright little blossom, why do you cry?”
“Can you not see I’ve become a butterfly?”

Sweet life is borne on Breezes of Spring
A tiny new bud, an egg left by wing…

˜K. D’Angelo

-K. D’Angelo (from Butterfly Dimension)

Be the first to correctly identify which species of butterfly this chrysalis will become and WIN a set of 4 assorted Butterfly Note Cards!
(Spots of Color shown above).  Each signed by Award Winning Artist, Lorac. Visit our Butterfly Shop to view other card styles available.

To enter the contest, leave us a comment with your “best guess”.  You will find the “comments” link at the top of this blog post and good luck!

Contest Ended  Midnight, June 30, 2010

The answer to the Mystery Chrysalis is shown below…

I am a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) Buttterfly…. One of Mother Nature’s many wonderful mysteries set aflutter.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is the most adaptable to change. – Charles Darwin

Survival of the Chrysalis...This Anise Swallowtail chrysalis will just have to hang with the cool weather until the spring rays return.

Mom laid this Bronze Copper butterfly egg safely nestled in some dried leaves, close to where its host plant will come up in the spring.

When reflecting on butterflies, visions of warm sunshiny days may fill one’s mind. It is not usual to think of a butterfly and to also invoke images of such things as snow, sleet or sub-zero temperatures. Many species of butterflies, however, have had to, over time, consider, adapt to and survive such wintry conditions.

It is true that some butterflies, such as the well known Monarch, spread their wings and flutter south to escape Old Man Winter, but various others are not so flighty. Take, for example, the Bronze Copper, it withstands the cool weather as a wee little egg. Curled-up leaves, buried deep beneath the snow, create the ideal escape and lodging for caterpillars such as Tawny Emperors, Fritillaries, Crecents and Checkerspots.

Mourning Cloak butterflies need to find shelter in a wood pile or under some bark to survive the first frost.

Swallowtails, Sulphurs and Whites, bear the hardships of winter by hiding out and undergoing metamorphosis as a chrysalis. Red-Spotted Purples and other Admirals build their very own shelter, called a hibernaculum. This is a miniature abode made just for hibernating as its name suggests. Mourning Cloaks, Commas and Question Marks, face the wintertide as adult butterflies. They look for a place to safely hibernate, seeking such refuges as wood piles or tree bark.

Which ever way they do it, hats, scarves and mittens off to the amazingly adaptable butterflies who endure Jack Frost’s torment. Come springtime, I think I can speak for all, in saying how grateful we are for your tenacious and triumphant perseverance!

A Tawny Emperor caterpillar searches for a cozy curled leaf where it can safely hibernate under a blanket of snow.

A Red-Spotted Purple caterpillar emerges from its self-made winter shelter or hibernaculum.

Above are photographs of the butterflies featured pictorially in this blog, going clockwise… Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis), Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton), Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus) & Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) at center.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

I know I resemble a snake or a manatee but can you guess who I really am? Do you know exactly what species I will turn out to be. Leave a comment with your best guess, but hurry I will be revealing my true identity soon!

I am starting to change… Do you recognize me still? I am a different color now but have the same melancholy lavender eyespots. I have turned brown because I am no longer grazing and resting upon green leaves. Now I am a stealthy climber looking for a place to safely switch my identity. I don’t want anybody to see me as I move about the dark colored branches.

Ok, I am guessing you may really have a hard time knowing me now. I have not only lost my lavender eyes but my legs too. Scary Looking Tree Bark is my new look, quite the trend in the Chrysalis World and camouflaging too! Hope you like it and if you think this is cool just wait until you see what I do next!

Oh, there’s a bit of chill in the air now and the days have grown shorter! I have a feeling if I emerge from my chrysalis at this time I won’t have any friends to flutter with. Think I will stay as I am over winter, patiently waiting, resting  inside my cozy shelter.

I will dream of the suns warm rays gently awakening me from my slumber. I can feel the winds raising me up to dance with the heavens. Upon bright wings, gracefully I will soar, adorning skies and embracing sweet flowers.  I am boundless and free as a Butterfly.

I am a Pale Swallowtail Butterfly
(Papilio eurmedon Lucas)

Look to the skies and watch for me and my friends, we will be in flight come springtime.

Newley Emerged Pale Swallowtail Caterpillar

This post is a follow-up to two earlier posts I wrote titled “Pale Swallowtail Butterfly Eggs” and “Butterfly Egg Hatches“.

The life of a pale swallowtail caterpillar is not only rare to experience, but extremely slow and methodical compared to other caterpillars I’ve raised.

The tiny pale swallowtail caterpillar hatches from it’s egg in only 4 days, spending most of it’s first day eating it’s own egg shell before setting out to explore it’s new surroundings.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you know the egg was mistakenly laid on a common fruit bearing peach tree in my neighbors back yard (peach trees are not considered to be a host plant for the pale swallowtails, although peach trees are in the prunus family).

Pale Swallowtail Caterpillar 2nd instar

I had offered the newly hatched pale swallowtail caterpillar a smorgasbord of host plants to eat.  Finally settling on the coffeberry (Rhamnus californica), taking only a small bite on the edge of the leaf, then returning to the center of the leaf to rest for the remainder of the day.

After watching the pale swallowtail for a couple of weeks now, I’ve started to realize there is a mythological pattern in it’s behavior.  First of all, this is a very long time for a caterpillar to still be a caterpillar and the time it takes to molt (intsar) is much slower than other caterpillars I’ve raised. I have rarely seen my pale caterpillar move, let alone eat.  I check on it first thing in the morning, noticing that the coffeeberry has been munched upon and frass (caterpillar droppings) are in the bottom of the container, but the caterpillar is in the exact same position as the day before.  I’ve realized the actions of my pale swallowtail caterpillar are all done privately, in the middle of the night.

Pale Swallowtail Caterpillar 5th Instar

“The larger and more mobile a caterpillar becomes, the more visible and tempting it is to potential predators. Newly interested parties including birds, lizards and spiders are among the large list of dangers a caterpillar can face. Such luxuries as claws, beaks and venom are not at a caterpillar’s disposal. Nor can a caterpillar scamper, hop or fly away quickly from a perilous situation. Fortunately, however, over time these amazing creatures have adopted and learned to survive despite the incredible challenges they face each day.” Excerpt from Butterfly Dimension by Kristen D’Angelo.

Day after day, moving slowly, molting, pooping and eating only at night, he grows. My methodical pale swallowtail caterpillar is in it’s 5th instar, almost ready to pupate into a chrysalis.  I’ll keep you posted.  ~ Vickie

These two Anise Swallowtail chrysalises (Papilio zelicaon) express their individuality through color. Despite their being raised at the same time and under the same conditions, one chose to be green & yellow, while the other opted to become brownish black.

While in the chrysalis stage, butterflies, often attempt to visually mimic the hues of the surrounding foliage. Regardless of the colors chosen, one can certainly appreciate their efforts to camouflage themselves!

Divine creation can be seen painted on the canvas of a butterflies wing…© Kristen D’Angelo

Artists, young and old alike, love to capture the beauty of butterflies.

Above, Elena, age 8, illustrates the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) with it’s host plant Passion Vine (Passiflora). Can you spot the eggs, caterpillar and chrysalis hidden amongst the lovely purple flowers on the drawing?

Learn more about the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

A Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly slips out of it’s chrysalsis and
hangs to dry it’s wings.

… a poem by Kristen D’Angelo

Take the day
Remember the glory that surrounds you
Behold colorful
Angels softly
fluttering

Watch with delight
while a butterfly’s beauty
Reflects in the
sparkle of
your eye

Know only grace
as she circles from above
Gently embracing
your heart

Soar peacefully with her
on the wings of the
Perfect love
that you are

What is a “Butterfly Day”? To me, this is a moment, spent out of time, lost, or shall I say found, in the splendors of nature. May I suggest that you take a day, go alone or bring a friend or two, hang out with the butterflies. Enjoy the treasures to be found all around you. From the flutter of a wing to the tiniest fragrant flower, take it all in and then let the beauty you experienced reflect back out from within you!

©2007 Kindly request permission to use poetry.
Thank you, Kristen