Three weeks later, I noticed that I could see the form of the caterpillar inside the egg, so I thought I should pick the nettle stem and keep it in a container, so that I could keep a closer eye on it.
Two days later there was just a little ring where the egg had been. The caterpillar had hatched and eaten its egg shell. I looked under the leaf and there was a little caterpillar, less than 2mm long. I decided to call him Colin the Comma!
I watched the caterpillar grow and change over the next few days.
Sadly, on 11 June I found it lying on the soil in the pot of nettles it had been living on. After careful inspection of the nettles I found a spider on the same leaf that the caterpillar had been living.
I spent hours searching through the nettles at our house close to where I had found Colin and eventually found another Comma caterpillar. This one was smaller than Colin and I think about 4 weeks younger than him. Therefore, I doubt it was a sibling. In the name of equality, I called this one Colette!
On 11 July she was about the same size as Colin had been.
And on 22nd July she turned into a chrysalis. The chrysalis was a beautiful coffee and cream colour scheme, with some amazing shiny silver marks.
On 1st August the chrysalis darkened and started to show the wing markings.
The following afternoon, when I returned home from work there was a Comma butterfly roosting on the side of the net cage. I carefully carried the cage out of the garage and switched on my camera. I slowly unzipped the lid and Colette flew up and out of the narrow gap and away. So, sadly, no picture and no confirmation of whether she was a he or a she!
The egg stage lasted 23 days, the caterpillar 32 days and the chrysalis 12 days. Hopefully, the adult butterfly will hibernate through the winter and be providing a new generation next spring.
I enjoyed seeing this photo series. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle.
DeleteGorgeous! I really enjoyed the metamorphosis process of this Comma caterpillar. Besides the egg structure is just amazing. Thank you very much for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day
Thank you Guillermo. It really is a fascinating process.
DeleteFascinating saga Nick.Great photography.
ReplyDeleteThank you Peter, Comma caterpillars and chrysalises are amazing-looking.
DeleteSuch a wonderful thing to witness. I think we learn more about critters this way.
ReplyDeleteI have been holding my hand out with seeds in it. Birds come and take them. I have learned so much more by doing this. Their flight patterns, who is the boss and more. I wish you the best in your new home. Maybe you will share photos of your sightings with us some day.
Thank you Tammie Lee. I do love observing nature and learning about it. I know many people who are keen to see birds or butterflies and to photograph them, but they don't appear to be interested to learn about their behaviour. I think there is much that we can learn from the natural world.
Delete¡Maravilloso reportaje, Nick, me ha encantado ver esa evolución!. Un fuerte abrazo desde Asturias.
ReplyDeleteGracias Belen. Amo cada etapa de la vida de esta mariposa.
DeleteYou got the whole process! What I really like is the shape of the chrysalid.
ReplyDeleteThank you Maria. I find every stage of the Comma's life interesting! I love the caterpillar, particularly its final instar.
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