What was supposed to be an incubation of 9-11 days dragged on to 9 weeks. The Black Swallowtail cocoon I talked about in my “Waiting For A Butterfly” entry finally emerged today.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes)
Every morning since the last week of August, when I open the blinds to the patio, I’d look at the jar and whisper to the creature inside the cocoon, “Are you there?” Every night before I close the blinds, I’d look at the jar and whisper to the creature inside the cocoon, “When will you come out?”
A couple of weeks ago, I started getting nervous because the twig that the cocoon was attached to had become moldy. What if the mold attacks the cocoon? I was almost resigned to one day having to admit that I killed it because I took it away from its habitat.
I was so relieved when I opened the blinds this morning and there she was — the Papilio polyxenes in all its glory. The wait is over.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes)
Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes)
It’s beautiful.