It's Caterpillar Time!

We've been enjoying the gorgeous weather and spending a lot of time outdoors lately.

Swimming, playing, coloring 

AND 

observing caterpillars

The milkweed is blooming. 

Momma butterflies have been laying eggs and we have quite a few caterpillars in the garden.

 Can you spot the baby caterpillar?

This is a recently hatched first instar.

After they hatch from the egg, they eat the egg and the part of the leaf that it was attached to, 

leaving little holes in the leaves.

After a little bit of leaf munching, this guy is a little fatter and probably close to molting.
They molt 4 times before pupating.

This is probably a second instar

 

 and a third.....

a fourth......

And here's a fifth instar and a first instar together.

We also brought one in to pupate a week ago so we have a chrysalis in our butterfly house that just started changing from green to a dark purple, meaning the butterfly is on its way. I'm a little concerned because the shape of the chrysalis is slightly different from what it should be so we'll have to wait and see what happens.