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View Full Version : What is this? Some kind of cocoon?



msgrau
10-05-2013, 05:38 PM
Found two of these hanging in our backyard near a tomato plant. Has some sort of gold rim around it. Any idea what it is?
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AgentOrange
10-05-2013, 05:40 PM
Looks like fun. Keep us posted.

msgrau
10-05-2013, 05:48 PM
I saw one of those big gnary caterpillars a few days back crawling around the fence of the tomato plant. Maybe it made a cocoon for itself? Do those things turn into those pretty monarch butterflies? I'll keep my eye on the two cocoons and see if I can find more of them! :)

TNRabbit R.I.P.
10-05-2013, 07:22 PM
Looks like a Monarch butterfly cocoon: http://antsbeesbutterfliesnature.blogspot.com/2011/09/monarch-metamorphosis.html

1966

msgrau
10-06-2013, 02:49 PM
Cool! I found a total of three. I'll take pictures over the next few days while waiting for these guys to hatch.

msgrau
10-18-2013, 07:29 PM
So I named all three of them. Willy, Billy, and Nelly.
Billy hatched last night :( I missed it. Willy and Nelly look like they're going to hatch tonight. Nelly is too high to get a pic of... but here is Willy:
2014
You can see the wings forming really nicely. Especially in Nelly, but couldn't get a pic of her.
Here was Billy:
2015
Sad I missed him :(

elgrau
10-18-2013, 08:21 PM
Billy belongs to the world now.... :drunk::highly_amused:

msgrau
10-19-2013, 04:49 PM
Willy hatched!
Look how big he is compared to his cocoon!
2020

TNRabbit R.I.P.
10-19-2013, 04:50 PM
Cool!

For the next one, we expect time-delay video of the entire event

msgrau
10-19-2013, 05:01 PM
Lol, I literally have been checking on them obsessively, but they morph so slowly I don't think I could do that.
I just got lucky and saw Willy just as he hatched. He chilled for awhile outside his cocoon, probably tired from wiggling out of that tiny thing. Then he flew away...
Nelly's cocoon is REALLY dark. Totally can see every outline of the wing. Might get a step ladder or something to get some pics of her. I'm sure she will be hatched before tomorrow A.M.

AgentOrange
10-19-2013, 05:05 PM
This is so interesting to me.
I thought Monarchs had to have Popular trees which are numerous in the South and my yard.

Keep us updated.

TNRabbit R.I.P.
10-19-2013, 05:19 PM
This is so interesting to me.
I thought Monarchs had to have Popular trees which are numerous in the South and my yard.

Keep us updated.

We have a lot of POPLAR trees here, too (which I suppose are popular also), & where I grew up in TN there were TONS of them. Used to see a lot of Monarchs, but not as many as Tiger Swallowtails. We were ATE UP with them.

msgrau
10-19-2013, 05:34 PM
I have no idea where these cocoons came from. We have a lot of unusual plants in our backyard (mostly because of my brother). It's like a jungle back there... but it is so cool! Willy is hanging out on one her plants right now... or maybe Billy came back. :P

elgrau
10-19-2013, 08:04 PM
Almost like magic: ugly catepillar "transforms" into a beautiful butterfly. How the fuck does THAT happen? And scientist have it all figured out. Yeah right... And all this just "evolved" from nothing, right? :sour: