part two of orchard swallowtail butterfly

Ok as promised here is part two - some of these photos were taken by my hubby with the old camera.  Thank you my love!
Just a few more photos I have to share..
This is when the wings first opened up


Here you can see the blue markings just starting to appear


 After about three hours it flew off into the garden.  As it settled onto the hibiscus plant you can see the perfectly half rounded shape.  Look how the little dots on the under wings seem to line up with the patterning from the top.


 Here you can see the slit in the chrysalis that the butterfly emerged from.
Here are the underside of the wings in more detail.
Isn't this just the most georgous creature?


Ok I am smitten! What a blessing to have witnessed this.

Comments

  1. BernieHFri Oct 15, 12:42:00 PM

    I've just caught up with your two posts ... oohh it's an absolute beauty! Love those zig-zag blue stripes ... how lovely to witness the emergence of this butterfly! Lucky you. How did it fit into that chrysallis??

    ReplyDelete
  2. africanaussieFri Oct 15, 12:58:00 PM

    Bernie,
    I certainly hope I can catch the other one emerging - it seems an impossible feat. Now that I know this one took three weeks I will be very vigiliantly watching the other one. Amazing too how that blue appeared later....

    ReplyDelete
  3. RoslynFri Oct 15, 01:50:00 PM

    Congratulations. It is so wonderful that your beautiful caterpillar became a different and even more beautiful creature and you could capture the process and share it. thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RohrerbotFri Oct 15, 02:10:00 PM

    Very cool pics! How is it that something goes from a caterpillar to a butterfly in a matter of hours? They really come out quickly. Beautiful final pics of this little guy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. africanaussieFri Oct 15, 03:06:00 PM

    Missy,
    I was just so excited to be able to see it, as I had given up hope.
    Rohrerbot,
    Sorry I must not have been clear on that somehow,
    The caterpillar changed into a chrysalis about three weeks ago, so that is how long they take at that stage. It depends on the caterpillar - can be anywhere from one to three weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. FloridagirlSat Oct 16, 12:04:00 AM

    What an amazing thing to witness! I long to someday witness such an event myself. Your swallowtail is a beautiful creature. That half-moon shape is quite elegant.

    ReplyDelete
  7. OneSat Oct 16, 01:21:00 AM

    Hi! I came back for the rest of your photos. Definitely great captures! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. africanaussieMon Oct 18, 10:18:00 AM

    Floridagirl,
    I think the trick is to catch them when they are caterpillars, as the chrysalis is so hard to spot unless you know what you are looking for.
    Thanks One, glad I could be a part of it all.

    ReplyDelete

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