While I was in Maryland Alina found a caterpillar at her babysitter's (my good friend Crystal) house. She told me about it on the phone and was very excited. Her friend Jade even took it to school for show and tell. I guess Crystal poked some holes in a canning jar and put the caterpillar in it with some leaves to eat because that's how I found it last night. Unfortunately it also looked quite stiff and dead. Needless to say when Brian broke the news to the girls they were devastated and many tears were shed. We made a plan to bury it today with "a seashell it could take with it to heaven." After a long morning shopping Alina brought the jar to me and said, "Where's the caterpillar? I can't find it!" I turned the jar around and saw what I thought was it but it looked fat and brown. I was distracted and didn't think much about it, just said, "Here he is." and pointed it out to Alina. Then she screamed with delight, "IT'S A COCOON!!!" Sure enough it wasn't dead but had pupated (sorry if that isn't a correct term, lol). Maybe it will survive to adulthood. It is supposed to stay in it's chrysalis for about two to four weeks then come out a moth. We'll see!!!
Here's a pic:
UPDATE: I am pretty certain the caterpillar will never make it to a moth. It still has not come out. (It is now almost February.) Also it no longer wiggles when I move it around. Of course I was wrong the last time I thought it was dead so I could be now. I am going to let Alina bury it outside because a website I was looking at says sometimes these will bury themselves in the ground and emerge in the spring.
