About a month ago a friend told me about a site you can order a kit where you can get live caterpillars and watch them turn to butterflies. So I ordered us one. It was so cool watching the different stages and the kids loved it! The whole process takes about 3 weeks. The site I ordered from is www.insectlore.com
This is how they send the caterpillars, in the little container with the food stuff on the bottom.
This is when they crawl to the top and form into there chrysalides. After they formed into chrysalides you move them into the butterfly habitat.
Then we watched them change into beautiful Painted Lady Butterflies!
My kids really enjoyed this little project! After they all changed, we went and got fresh flowers and put them in the habitat. Then you make sugar water and put droplets of it on the flowers. The butterflies unfurl their proboscis, drink the sugar water then roll their proboscis back up. It is so cool to see!
I got really into this! I think I was more excited then my kids! It was very fascinating! Their coloring is so pretty in the light! The pictures don't show it very good, but they have orangesh-pink, black, white. And brown on the botton side of the wings.
Fun Painted Lady Butterfly Facts:
*They taste with their feet.
*They have 10,000 eyes.
*Breathes through her abdomen.
*She can lay up to 500 eggs.
*Have life span of 2 to 4 weeks.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Butterflies
Posted by Jensen Family at 12:17 PM
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4 comments:
I am so glad you guys enjoyed them. My kids keep asking me when we're going to order more. We do it every year an it's cool every time! Next you'll have to order the Ladybug Land. They send ladybug larvae and you can watch them turn into ladybugs. It's so fun too.
We've never gotten the Praying Matis but it looks cool. I keep thinking I'll order it but just have never done it. By the way you got some great pictures of the butterflies.
That is seriously soo cool, I am fascinated by them! What a fun project or activity to do with your kids, I am sure that will create great memories with you kiddies! I just might do it.
I have heard of those things, and now maybe I will try it because it does look fun! Very educational to. Those are very pretty pictures you took to.
P.S. how does something that only lives 2-4 weeks lay 500 eggs! and where are all those eyes, that's crazy!
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