Caterpillar Cuteness

Well, more creatures have come to our home. While our praying mantis egg sack sits quietly waiting to hatch and our few remaining ant hill ants keep burrowing away, we got this Insect Lore package in the mail.

We opened up our package to find well over 30 painted lady caterpillars collected into a small jar. However, the directions noted that we should separate them into small dixie cups right away. Ok then, we had some work to do. So we pulled the folding table out of the garage and into the driveway, invited over the neighbors kids and spent our after school hours gently rehousing caterpillars.

But before I did, I jumped onto the Insect Lore Facebook page. Why? Well, the caterpillar food we had to transfer into the cups too looked suspiciously like peanut butter. And with one kid allergic, I had to ask – so I did. They responded right away and said:

“All butterflies’ larvae eat from unique host plants, so the diet is a ‘smoothie’ of malva, hollyhock and thistle plants – no goober peas involved at all.”

Phew. Good to know. And we were off. My 7 year old did great as he carefully spooned and smooshed the food into the bottom of the cups as instructed. I spent my time carefully picking up caterpillars using an included paintbrush. Before we knew it, we had them all put safely into their new homes.

And I have to say. Those little caterpillars were pretty darn cute.

We passed a handful over to the neighbors who took them home to watch. And then brought the rest of ours indoors and set them up on a ledge which gets no direct sunlight.

So now we wait.

In the meantime, another rather large beast has decided to upstage all of my new creatures. A total diva. Laying there, thinking he’s all that.

Yes, this new addition is sunning himself on a bank off my backyard. But really, this pic is zoomed in. He’s not that big, only three feet or so. Still big or small, we love all beasites around here.

As always, I’ll keep you posted.