Daycare Science: Caterpillar to Butterfly

This spring, CCPRN coordinated a group order of caterpillars for all members who were interested in purchasing some for their daycare.

We were happily surprised by the response and enthusiasm of our caregivers!

Nearly 200 caterpillars arrived at the office at the beginning of the month, each neatly packaged in their own little containers lined with food.

And boy those caterpillars were hungry!

They ate…. and ate…. and ate.

Before long they got a lot bigger.

We decided to transport our largest caterpillars into bigger containers to ensure they had enough room to hang upside-down.

And one by one, they made their way up to the top of the jar.

And formed their chrysalises.

The white webbing is silk formed by the caterpillar.

Caught in the silk appears to be a part of the caterpillar that was shed during the transformation process.

Within two weeks of their arrival, some of our butterflies emerged…

…as beautiful Painted Ladies.

It has been truly rewarding and exciting to share this opportunity with our members and their daycare children.

A big thank you to all who participated and gave their children an opportunity see mother nature’s magic.

Thanks for reading,