The Leopard, Phalanta phalantha phalantha, is quite a common butterfly in Singapore. It is often found in parks and gardens on sunny days where its host plant, the Weeping Willow(Salix), is planted. The Leopard is usually spotted flying around weeping willows and nectaring on lantana and ixora.
Young caterpillar. Note the numerous black branching spines.
Last instar caterpillar.
Pre-pupa. The caterpillar has taken the colour of the chrysalis.
The chrysalis. Coloured a beautiful pale green and edged with silver and shining red, it looks like an exquisite piece of jewellery. It can be surprisingly difficult to spot on the undersides of willow leaves where it is usually attached. The chrysalis becomes transparent to show the butterfly within just before its emergence.
Freshly hatched Leopard. The butterfly is coloured a rich orange brown above with many black spots and lines. The undersides of fresh specimens are particularly beautiful, shaded delicately with rosy purple.
10 comments:
Hey I have 2 leopard lacewing caterpillars but one of them turned black at the pre-pupa stage n has yet to turn into a pupa. I think it's gone?
Another question, where do u buy the caterpillars from?
hm, yea the black one is probably dead. I don't buy the caterpillars.. I just look for them among the trees n bushes haha
A few days ago I brought two leopard caterpillars to home. At the night one disappeared and the other turn into pupa. Today is its forth day and it is still green. How many days the pupal stage generally takes?
i think it takes about a week or so. 8 days perhaps?
samuel, I just discovered this blog of yours...... wow.
tsk tsk. it has been sitting here all these years and slowly fermenting. haha. i must update soon hai.
=D when ur exams end? I am too sian to mugggg!
I end on monday! yay. I'm sick of studying too..
I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing
How many days does it take for the leopard lacewing butterfly to become a pupa. Need this for science project.
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