Painted Lady Butterfly

Last Saturday, my husband noticed a caterpillar forming its chrysalis under the old deck steps he had removed a few weeks ago. Why dear husband did not mention this to his wife and children at the time is not important, but he later admitted that he wasn't thinking "nature study" as he sweated through the 95 degree day building the new deck. Okay, okay, point well taken, but I asked if maybe next time he could take just a minute to holler through the screen door before he cut the next board ;)

All week long we were checking the chrysalis several times a day. It was beginning to get clearer after a few days, and by Friday we could see the colors in the wings. It was my 6yo who first said it.

"I think it looks like a Painted Lady".

After a full week within the chrysalis, the butterfly was easy to see through the walls. I kept peeking out all day, expecting to see a butterfly every minute. Late in the afternoon, I snuck a look between runs of the electric saw, and saw something!!! I called the girls and we all went running out like mad, lol. She had hatched out and was hanging upside down from the underneath of the step, letting her wings dry. It really WAS a Painted Lady. SweetP was so excited that her guess was right!

Butterflies have to let their wings dry for at least two hours, so we went back inside after a bit. We couldn't stay there the whole time! After nap, she was gone, but we figured she was nearby. So, we took a little stroll around the house and we found her in the backyard on some thistle. Yes, I have thistle in my yard. I know, I know. BUT, thistle is the Painted Lady's host plant, so weeds can even add to nature study! If we had weeded away all our thistle, we probably wouldn't have had a caterpillar, chrysalis, or butterfly :)

So, we followed her around a bit. She was flying only short distances and resting for quite a while in the sun between spurts. We had a good, long leisurely look at her. She was so polite, spreading her wings out for us to get a good look. We noticed all kinds of tiny details and spent more than twenty minutes with her. I want to make it clear that touching a butterfly's wings is never a good idea. Each touch wipes away tiny scales and reduces the butterfly's ability to fly. Touching the wings is very damaging. However, you can touch the legs - gently :) SweetP very, very gently put her index finger out in the grass in front of our little friend, and guess what! Yes, homeschooling sisters, my 6yo had a painted lady butterfly perched on her fingers, sitting just as though she enjoyed all of the attention and admiration.

Wow.

What a moment.