Thursday, January 9, 2014

#8 Monarch




My Favorite Nature Moments of 2013.

In October after an all day rain, a soaking rain, heavy long hours, followed by a slow clearing, I spotted this monarch butterfly caterpillar just as it was beginning to metamorphose into its chrysalis. 

Most caterpillars find an out-of-the-way place to rearrange their corporeal form. I know I would. Perhaps the rain prevented it. It's messy work, as close to an everyday miracle as we get to witness: from caterpillar to gelatinous goop to butterfly that has enough chutzpa to find and fly to Mexico.But oddly, this one chose a highly visible park bench, an unlikely place to go through the change of life.
   
Rex McDaniel managed to get a bit of video. Click: Monarch in October.

The story ended well, after about two weeks it reemerged and flew away.  

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