Swallowtail back!

Today my sister came visiting and suddenly she said: Look, look! come quickly...!!!

There he/she was....The Swallowtail is back! he/she landed while fluttering around in my garden on the verbena. As quickly as I could I grabbed my camera and was able to get a glimpse of this beautiful butterfly.

In dutch the butterfly is named Koninginnepage so I always name her Queen!

Only when summers are very warm they fly up more north from the southern countries.

Back in 2006 The butterfly was here as well and I was able to photograph the whole process of transformation from egg to butterfly (click link here for the transformation series)

It is so amazing to see the whole process...and I am so delighted to see her back!

(Click images for sharper view)

Transformation

I made this film ten years ago, back in 2008
About the transformation of the Swallowtail butterfly.(Koninginnenpage)(Papilion Machaon)
The whole process from being a very small caterpillar, into spinning his cocoon, going into cocoon...
and then later on from cocoon to a beautiful butterfly.
Somehow I still am amazed at the whole process when I look at it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA-wNC6ZwUg&t=66s

Queen arrived

Of course he could not wait, not for my help, nor support.
When I looked to see how the cocoon was doing, I saw it was empty.
The Queen butterfly sitting at the end of the stick.

I sat for a while with him sitting on my finger, watching him closely.
Such a beauty.
Even his legs have a yellow stripe.
The strenghth in the legs is so tingly yet tight gripping to hold himself.
After a while he took his wings, flying away high.

Unexpected

Unexpected, I was thinking today, to give an eye at the cocoons of the Swallowtail.

I had given up on them, to be honest.
End of May, and still no butterflies. only dead looking cocoons.
I had read and seen that they always come end of April.
Even one had gone out in March...

So I thought these 3 cocoons that were still left were not coming anymore.
Maybe something went wrong...so was my thinking, that happens sometimes.
I had stored two cocoons outside, so whatever happens ... nothing can go wrong,
and if they come out, they can easily fly away.
To my surprise I saw that one cocoon was empty.

and of course being outside...the butterfly had flown away.
The other one is still green and it looks like he is shining through a little, so that might mean he is on the way.

Then I went for a look at the third cocoon in the glasshouse inside.
This one had tied himself on the wood of the glasshouse, so I was not able to get him out.

I had stored this one in my atelier...and surprise, surprise....there was a butterfly sitting inside on the glass window.
Maybe he has been sitting there for some days...so immediately I took him outside to open the window..
It did not take long that he few high away into the blue sky.

Maybe there is a lesson here...for me at least and maybe for you 2
Not to give up...too soon...when things look dead and never seem to come alive.

Queen out

While going out to get a new canvas, 

The butterfly thought he could do it without my support.

When I came back I found him, perfectly perched on the stick,

a little above the empty cocoon.

Because it is cold and rainy I keep him in the glasshouse, till the weather gets sunny and shiny.

Cocoon Swallowtail becoming more transparant

Today I sat a long time...keeping watch.
ready with my camera, lovely sunshine...
Until it just started to rain and the butterfly still not moving.
However I photographed and filmed the transformation already so many times the years before.
that it is not a problem..that I won't capture it again.

The transparency has become even more.
Black dots shining through on the rear end, which were not there  yesterday.

Cocoons Swallowtail

Yesterday one of the cocoons of the Swallowtail came out.
A beautiful butterfly fluttered against the window of the glasshouse
in which I had kept them stored over wintertime.
I let him fly right away.

Yesterday I noticed that the next one is planning to come soon.
A few days ago, both cocoons looked almost the same...
deep green colored.(like the one on the bottom)
When the butterfly plans to come out, the cocoon gets transparent.
The yellow and black colors of the wings are shining though.(top one)

However it is a lucky chance, when you are just in time to see the butterfly coming out.
In just a few seconds he's out.
So to stay all day on the look out,
I don't know...

Queen out!

To my surprise one of butterfly's has come out of his cocoon...!

Maybe you remember from last year how I saved the caterpillars and later the cocoons of the Swallowtail butterfly (Koninginnepage),

otherwise click the link to the archives.

Queen 3, Queen 2, Queen 1

Today, or maybe yesterday he has come out.

I had stored the cocoons all winter upstairs, where it is cold.

Last week I stored them in the garage, because there it is colder now and more dark.

So that they would not come out to soon.

Well, this one is in my opinion too soon out of his cocoon,

but there is no option to go back into the cocoon....

So I let him out for a flight.

Queen 7

caterpillar 7

Today the 7 th caterpillar decided is was his time to go in hiding.

The day before yesterday he roamed around the whole day!

I worried about his energy,

walking around, seeking a resting spot for a whole day, is quite an effort for such a small creature.

I had placed many sticks on where he could sit in the glasshouse.

But none of it was good enough.

He dropped himself to the bottom, if he did not like the stick where he was on.

This went on and on, till it became dark.

The next day when I awoke, he had found a place on a piece of wood: a cover of a wine box.

I thought the raw wood might be something he liked, so I had placed that inside as well.

Yesterday he sat there the whole day in preparation for his transformation.

I read that a chemical process occurs in his little body.

On the next day(today) you can see that his old skin gets transparent.

His new green skin shining through.

If you enlarge the photo you can see it a little bit.

I also filmed the whole thing again,

so maybe tomorrow I will put it on my blog.

Queen 3

This morning 2 other caterpillars decided it was their time.

I captured it on film,

so you can see the whole transformation with your own eyes.

It is quite a wrestling for such a small creature

and it takes a lot of courage to let go of the old life.

save the Queen 3

Today I was happy to be just in time, to see one of the caterpillars breaking out.

He removed his old skin and transformed into cocoon.

It is a great sight to see this happen.

He sat in the corner, so I could only see him from the back.

You can clearly see how he starts to break open at the top

than slowly breaking open to the bottom.

Till the old skin falls off.

Queen 3

This morning when I looked, how the caterpillar was doing,

He he'd gone.

Gone into his next journey.

Staying in cocoon for at least till april next year.

His old skin still hanging at his rear end as a reminder of his former life.

Queen 3

This morning, I saw that the caterpillar had finished his safety belt.

Today he is waiting, waiting, sitting quiet, no movements,

till he is ready to go into his transformation. (cocoon)

I expect it to happen tomorrow.

Queen 3

One of the caterpillars became very restless,

He started to run all over going everywhere.

seeking a place for spinning.

I know that from experience, from the years before.

I prepared in the glasshouse, some branches, and some food.

So that it is easy for him to cocoon and

for me easy to put them inside when it starts freezing.

Not long after that he found a spot which he liked.

If you enlarge the photo,(click-click)

than you can clearly see some of the spinning thread.

Queen 3

The 8 caterpillars of the Swallowtail (Koninginnepage) are getting fatties.
They have eaten very very well.
All 8 are all together to be seen here.
A few days ago I had to remove them to another stem of the foeniculum,
because the plant was eaten completely bare.

It will not be very long, that they will go into cocoon.
I hope I will be able to follow this again.

Queen nr8

After discovering the seven caterpillars of the Swallowtail,(Koninginnepage)
I still inspect the Foeniculumplants, for 'just in case, you never know'.

And Yes!
there was number 8 quitely sitting on the stem of another plant.

Save the Queen 3

When I walked through my garden,
seeking an object for my camera.
I wanted something on macro,
so I inspected my plants for little insects, slugs or spiders
or who-ever wanted to pose for my lense.

Then to my amazement, I noticed the caterpillars of the Swallowtail, (Koninginnepage), (Papilion Machaon) on the Foeniculum (bronzen venkel)
I had seen the Swallowtail-butterfly flying around a while ago
on July 21
I hoped this Swallowtail I had seen, was a she, so that she would lay some eggs.
Now one month later there are 6 big caterpillars and 0ne small one.(last photo)
That makes it to 7 caterpillars!
such a present!