Rainy season: Caterpillars

 

All these were taken within 48 hours!

EDIT: Here is the follow up post "Rainy Season: Butterflies and Moths"

 

The rains came late this year and with it, a proliferation of caterpillars that I have never experienced before in my life. They were not only numerous but there were also a variety of different species. The sheer numbers were staggering and it felt almost absurd at some point with caterpillars falling off the trees, crawling across my laptop keyboard, and covering all the trees. There was a very short period of time where the caterpillars seemed to explode all over camp. 

Within a few days the caterpillars started making cocoons. The photos below were taking within eight hours and I was fascinated to see the caterpillars slow process into forming into a pupa. I was working at my desk throughout the day and kept checking the caterpillar to see it slowly morphing into a pupa. Not exactly the fastest moving action but still riveting! 

It was then very cool to see a week later these pupae exploding into butterflies. The most common were of the African Migrant (Catopsilia florella) and I did get to see a few emerge out, stretch their wings out, let them dry, and then depart. Metamorphosis is pretty unbelievable!

Forming into a pupa.

This photo was taken 7 hours after the initial one.

 

About a week later these Catopsilia florella (African migrant, African emigrant, or common vagrant) emerged

 

Look closely and you will see loads of caterpillars!