Painted Lady Butterflies
7th May 2018
J6 have been observing carefully as their 5 caterpillars have changed before their eyes.
- Each day our tiny caterpillars got bigger and bigger.
- They came with enough food to last them and they kept eating and they kept growing.
- They created what looked like a web, which was the caterpillars spinning their silk to protect themselves.
- When they were 10x their original size they climbed to the top of the cup, formed a j shape and became chrysalides.
- After 3 days we moved the chrysalides from the cup to the butterfly habitat and waited.
- The caterpillar parts inside the chrysalis were liquefying and re-arranging to become beautiful butterflies.
- The chrysalis started to go a dark colour and the next morning the butterflies had emerged.
- Butterflies enjoy an all liquid diet and feed mainly on nectar from flowers and fruit.
- We have been feeding some fruit and creating a nectar with water and sugar.
- We hope to release our butterflies on the next warm day, in a sunny spot so they can warm their flight muscles to fly.
Have a look at just a few of the stages we captured on camera....
Kilronan School, 46 Ballyronan Rd, Magherafelt BT45 6EN Phone: 028 7963 2168