where even the smallest of the caterpillars, rarely noted with the naked eye, are larger than life.
They feed and grow at a precipitous rate. Shown here molting, or shedding its old skin, and crawling off in a new color and style. Isn't he a big boy now? Only one more instar to go!
Another few days or a week of munching, and they will be ready to go into winter "storage" as chrysalis.
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Butterflies, and their larva, are highly dependant on the temperature and weather. Cool, cloudy days slow their metabolic processes and it may take up to 3 weeks or more to grow to maturity. Hot sunny days, like this summer, speed their growth rate. They mature more rapidly and therefore face fewer dangers. This year has been a fantastic butterfly weather- with exceptional numbers and varieties.
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Not all of them make it. The smallest of the caterpillars was found dead at the bottom of the enclosure. Death is reality. Most eggs laid never make it to winged maturity; these small creatures are a major player in the food web of life. They are on the bottom.
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Left on their own in the wild, they are subject to predation at every stage of life. Insects prey on the eggs and caterpillars, as well as the adult stage. Birds need caterpillars for protein, especially while feeding young. They also succumb to fungal diseases and a host of other maladies. I even suspect fratricide in crowded conditions. It is inevitable to have losses while rearing larva, the major reason I rarely take on a project of this sort. Butterflies face death at every stage in life, but I hate it when it happens on my watch.
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As mere human, I have no powers to control life and death, but if I did, we would have more butterflies.
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