By Brianne Spinelli

Brianne Spinelli is an “Auntie by Relation” (ABR) to Julia, Alexis, and Lucas, as well as Godmother to Alexis. Connect with her on Twitter at @freetobebree or here on SavvyAuntie.com, member name: AuntBree.

One of the most spectacular aspects of Aunthood is that Aunties are blessed with the opportunity to watch their dear nieces and nephews grow, develop, and mature through the course of their lives. Ask any Auntie and she will tell you that their little nieces and nephews seem to grow up overnight. For example, just last weekend I attended my niece Julia’s Sweet 16. Julia first came into my life when she was 5 years old, and her father began dating my sister. She melded effortlessly into our family and our hearts. As I watched Julia celebrate this milestone event in her life, I found myself wondering what happened to the round-eyed, chubby-cheeked child I had affectionately compared to little Nemo from the movie Finding Nemo. She didn’t just disappear; she merely grew up right before my eyes and faster than I’d ever anticipated.

Caterpillar Babies

Now, along with my younger niece Alexis, who is 3 ½, I am getting the opportunity to watch some other babies grow up right before our eyes. Only, this time, the babies we’re watching are caterpillars. More specifically, they are Black Swallowtail caterpillars.

About two weeks ago, as we played in the backyard, splashing in a kiddie pool, our whole family had the pleasure of witnessing a Black Swallowtail butterfly fluttering around the parsley planted in our garden. Having raised some caterpillars in the past, I knew that the only reason a butterfly would be in our parsley was to lay eggs. (Butterflies don’t have regular mouths with which to eat—they have proboscises, which are straw-like structures used to drink nectar from flowers.) Once the mother butterfly scuttled off, Alexis and I immediately went to check out the egg situation. We found a number of tiny, yellowish spheres scattered on the leaves of parsley.

We decided to leave the eggs alone…for now. However, the very next day while Alexis was at daycare, after some very heavy rain, I went to check the plants to see if the eggs were still intact. Many were. And then I spotted it! One egg had already hatched! I brought the caterpillar-containing stalk into the house. I set it up in a small glass full of water inside, an enclosure I’d made previously from part of an Ikea hanging compartment.

Observation and Learning

Alexis was over the moon when she arrived home from school to find our newest houseguest. We spent a great deal of time observing how the caterpillar wiggled and ate. In true 3-year-old fashion, Alexis was especially interested in the fact that the caterpillar poops. We named the caterpillar Windsor (for “wind” and “soar”).

Over the next week, as we’d bring in more parsley to feed Windsor, we discovered we were accidentally bringing in additional eggs as well. There are now five caterpillars living in our enclosure: along with Windsor, there is Tudor, Hanover, Stuart, and Norman. Every morning and when she gets home from school, Alexis runs to the caterpillars to examine them and note any ways in which they’d changed. What’s more is that, because the caterpillars each hatched over the course of a week, they are all at different stages of their development. Alexis can see exactly how much bigger the caterpillars have gotten, as well as how different they look from a few days ago.

Today, our first caterpillar, Windsor, started the process of pupating—that is, the last stage before it becomes a butterfly. Windsor made his way to the top of the enclosure, attached two spider web-like strings from his body to the enclosure’s material, and will shed his skin to reveal the chrysalis. In about 10 days, our brand new butterfly will emerge, and Alexis and I will release it back into the world. The rest of the caterpillars will follow suit over the next few weeks.

This has been such an incredible experience, and it is all the more worthwhile because it’s something special and unique that I’m sharing with my goddaughter. She’s getting to watch these little bugs grow and transform just as I’m watching her grow and transform. Thank goodness her growth is at a much less rapid rate than that of a caterpillar because I’m not quite ready for her to fly away yet!

How To Raise Your Own Butterflies

1. Get some caterpillars!
You can find some right in your own backyard or you can order them online. Amazon will send you a full kit that will get you started raising butterflies.

2. Do your homework.
If you find your caterpillars on your own, do a quick Google search to find out what they eat, and get an idea of their life cycle. Generally, whatever plant on which you find the caterpillars will be what they’ll subsist on throughout their larval stage.

3. Set up house!
Find something in which the caterpillars can live. I use a mesh cage as described above with another cut piece of mesh pinned over the opening; others have used fish tanks with screen tops that can be lifted off. Whatever you choose, be sure the enclosure allows for ample oxygen to get in. Arrange food for the caterpillars. If using cut plants or herbs, place them in a small vase or tall glass with water to keep the foliage fresh. Keep the cage in an area that is protected and away from intense heat or cold.

4. Observe!
Once the caterpillars are in their new home, they’re pretty self-sufficient and low maintenance. Now is the time to watch as they grow and change. Add food as necessary, and occasionally give everything in the enclosure a light misting of water to simulate rain or dew.

5. Do Not Disturb.
It is important to be very gentle with the caterpillars through the entire process. Try not to handle them too much. It is especially vital to leave them alone once they’ve entered into their last stage of development: the chrysalis.

6. Be free!
Once the new butterflies emerge from their chrysalises, their wings will appear crumpled until they pump fluid through them and dry out. Once that’s done, set the butterflies free. Try to do so within 24 hours of their emergence. If it’s a particularly rainy day or you’re not able to release them immediately, place some nectar flowers or sliced oranges in the cage so that they may feed.

Photo: dan
Published: June 19, 2013