Cocoon

One Saturday I found a caterpillar on our driveway and picked it up to show Megan. She said "wow, can I keep it as a pet?" I thought of our bug cage and ran inside to find it. It has a wood bottom and an enclosed top made of sturdy screening. We took the catepillar with us to gymnastics (well, "Tumbling for Tots") and afterwards loaded up the cage with grass and leaves.

We ran a few errands (leaving the windows cracked so that our little friend would not get too hot) and when we came home Megan looked inside and said "Mom, he got out." I told her that wasn't possible. But I couldn't spot him either. I stuck a stick inside and tried to move one of the leaves out of the way. It wouldn't move - the little guy had made his cocoon between the leaf and the bottom of the cage!

"What are the chances?" I asked Megan. "We happened to find a catepillar that was just getting ready to build his cocoon!" David looked up how long it would take for the butterfly to emerge (10-14 days) Sure, enough, out he came today! He wasn't a butterfly though, just a small brown moth. I remember how often I captured caterpillars as a kid, hoping to see them build their cocoon and emerge. It never happened; well, at least not until now!