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The butterfly finally emerged today! Because I didn't know exactly when the emergence would happen, I had been checking on the chrysalis every day, sometimes several times a day.
From Google, I knew that an Eastern Black Swallowtail typically takes between 1 - 2 weeks to transform, but I didn't know how long the chrysalis had been there before I found it. As for time of day, I didn't know that either, but I assumed it would be near the heat of the day. Turns out, it happened in the morning. I also knew that the chrysilis would darken -- actually, I think it technically becomes transparent, showing the color of the butterfly. When that occurred, I knew the show was on!
This morning around 7AM, I went out to check on it, and I noticed the edges had darkened. After breakfast and an errand, I checked again...around 8:45AM -- it was definitely changing!
Compare the green from a week or so ago --
To this morning around 8:45AM --
So I set up the camera and intervalometer onto the tripod. My plan was to get enough pictures for a time-lapse video, but sadly that was not to be! I had figured it would maybe take several hours for the transformation to occur, so I set the intervalometer on the camera to take a photo every 2 minutes.
I checked on it frequently. I went out after being inside for a few minutes, and
Wings still wet and wrinkled and clinging for dear life while climbing up the stalk --
After it had been out for a while -- wings not wrinkled, but hanging straight down.
Drying its wings -- it was on the stalk for at least an hour. Eventually I looked out and it was gone!
***
From Google, I knew that an Eastern Black Swallowtail typically takes between 1 - 2 weeks to transform, but I didn't know how long the chrysalis had been there before I found it. As for time of day, I didn't know that either, but I assumed it would be near the heat of the day. Turns out, it happened in the morning. I also knew that the chrysilis would darken -- actually, I think it technically becomes transparent, showing the color of the butterfly. When that occurred, I knew the show was on!
This morning around 7AM, I went out to check on it, and I noticed the edges had darkened. After breakfast and an errand, I checked again...around 8:45AM -- it was definitely changing!
Compare the green from a week or so ago --
To this morning around 8:45AM --
So I set up the camera and intervalometer onto the tripod. My plan was to get enough pictures for a time-lapse video, but sadly that was not to be! I had figured it would maybe take several hours for the transformation to occur, so I set the intervalometer on the camera to take a photo every 2 minutes.
I checked on it frequently. I went out after being inside for a few minutes, and
BAM!
The butterfly was out. Based on the 10 or so shots that I got, the exit from the chrysalis must have only taken about 20 minutes! So I wasn't taking shots often enough to get a time-lapse out of it!Wings still wet and wrinkled and clinging for dear life while climbing up the stalk --
After it had been out for a while -- wings not wrinkled, but hanging straight down.
Drying its wings -- it was on the stalk for at least an hour. Eventually I looked out and it was gone!
***
