The Moth Emerges!



He emerges!

 
Let's just call this post "December in June" instead...because this epic (in the mind's of my boys!) event happened last December, people.  Last year.  Call me a procrastinator, if you please.  I have already come to terms with that label.  Its OK.

If you remember this guy...

...then you might actually care that he started to transform (click the link for pics)...and then died a terrible death.  His chrysalis was eaten mercilessly by ants and we were all so sad. 

But, his cousin (we assume) left another chrysalis in the back yard and we eagerly scooped him up and adopted him into our little family.  This time, no ants came and we kept him safe in an orange crate just in case he decided to skip town in the middle of the night without us viewing his departure.

So...

Our caterpillar...er...moth...on the day of hatching.  Safe in the orange crate.

...it was fun to find his cousin waiting for us one day last December after he emerged into a new world.  No longer a weird-looking alien caterpillar...but a beautiful, breathtaking, hairy green Hawk Eye moth.  (And you wonder if I have embraced the world of Mom of Boys with my loving description of this guy.  Yes, it is just as fun for me!)

Two happy boys!

The Oleander Hawk Moth Caterpillar's wings were still a bit wet (and couldn't be used for flying just yet), so the boys were able to take off the lid and observe him for a little bit before they found a shady tree to set him on.  They kept oohing and aahing at his color, how fuzzy he was, and they were commenting on his "fake eyes" on the back of his wings.  After reading enough Usborne science books and bug manuals in our home school, they knew these "eyes" were for scaring away predators hungry for a moth snack. 

See his fake "eyes" right above his head?

The Oleander Hawk Moth Caterpillar's chrysalis

Getting to hold this guy, without him flying off, was the highlight of their week!

Thanks for letting me give you a peek into the every-day, ordinary things that happen in our house.  Maybe, soon, I can get to sharing things that aren't six months old.  Maybe. 

Have a great week!

Alina