The caterpillars have become beautiful butterflies!

I came home from the beach last night and found three butterflies waiting for me in their enclosure in the kitchen! They had hatched! The light was fading as the sun was setting, but I took the aquarium outside and using a twig, helped the butterflies onto the butterfly bush.

The light wasn't good, the camera battery wasn't charged (what!) and my iPhone was dying (I did spend the day taking photos of the water and the seagulls) so I borrowed my husband's phone and took the above photos of two separate female butterflies. The blue markings is what gives them away. (The third was a boy but the photos did not come out well.) They didn't seem interested in flying away. I regretfully left them outside on the bush but figured they would be ok without me overnight.

This morning, I awoke to find another newly hatched male butterfly waiting for me! (Thankfully I work a late shift today!) I again brought the aquarium outside and found all three butterflies had decided to stay on the butterfly bush overnight. I added him to the company. A little better lighting this morning made for better photos on my iPhone.

Today's new male butterfly!

The male from last night.

There remains one unopened chrysalis in the aquarium, and I have one more caterpillar that I am taking care of that came in from Diane's (much-needed) dill and carrot tops to feed the previous five caterpillars.  (He was so tiny that we didn't even see him when she gave me the herbs at Natureworks!)