Summer Science - Conclusion

So we've been babysitting some black swallowtail caterpillar chrysalises. My boys thought they were more exciting as caterpillars, but the "sleeping caterpillars" were still kind of novel. Then it was time for us to go for our summer reunion/road trip, and they we still "sleeping".... so, into the car they went!

I tucked the container in, and we started out. Our first stop, on our Wisconsin exploration trip, was at the Jelly Belly Center in Pleasant Prarie, WI. We went in and did the tour and came out to eat a picnic lunch in the grass by the parking lot before heading on to Door County. As we were pulling out our lunch, I noticed that one of the chrysalises had hatched!

I was super excited!

However, the butterfly didn't seem real excited to be out in the world.... I left the container opened and we sat a little ways off to eat our lunch; occasionally going over to peek at it.  Still, at the end of lunch, the little fella seemed disinclined to leave the container.

We debated among ourselves as to the best way to deal with the reluctant newborn. It was hanging onto the stick it had hatched from, the other chrysalis seemed like it might possibly be progressing but we needed to get back on the road. In the end, I decided to gently placed the sticks by a tree with our apple bits from lunch and hope for the best.

I take heart in that the hatched butterfly wasn't there as we drove away. Sure, maybe a crow ate it (a suggestion Hubby enjoyed trolling me with), but I choose to believe it flew boldly away into the wide world.

So pretty!