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As the Pupa January 20-February 6
At dusk on the 20th, the caterpillar
was about the same as it had been. I
was worried because the wind was up
and it was going to be cold. At 9 A.M.
the next morning, I could not find the
caterpillar. I looked and looked and
then out of the corner of my eye, I
saw something new. It was a
miraculous transformation that had
happened in 14 hours!
Our caterpillar is
now a a pupa.
Within days, the outside temperatures dropped drastically. Fearing for the pupa's life, I cut the limb the leaf was on keeping it on the back porch each evening and bringing it back outside each morning. There was little change to the pupa, although the leaves had darkened and died.
But after a few warm days, the chrysalis began
darkening and changing shape. This picture was
taken on February 6. Up until shortly before
this, the changes were too subtle to photograph.
Had it been warmer, the chrysalis could have
gone to this phase in a week. The following were
taken on February 6, sixteen days after the
caterpillar had become a pupa.
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