. So we went from fat caterpillars about a week and a half ago....
to my first butterfly, newly emerged and drying out its wings.
I had checked on my 8 chrysallises yesterday several times throughout the day, and all was quiet. This morning around 8 a.m. I went into the garage and found this first butterfly quietly sitting and no doubt getting its bearings.
I took all the branches out of the aquarium so it could more easily fly out but it seemed to be having a little trouble getting airborne. So I got it to climb on my hand and then after taking a few selfies... 
i gently transferred it to a sedum in my yard.
But then my batteries ran out and I had to race inside to get more, and I think my presence scared it a little because before I knew it, it had fluttered above me in the air, headed toward some large rhododendrons.
It was all very exciting.
Eight more to go!
First butterfly emerged!
August 27th, 2016 at 12:06 am
August 27th, 2016 at 01:41 am 1472258484
We've raised some monarchs from a catalog with the kids, but we've never gotten caterpillars directly from the yard the way you did.
August 27th, 2016 at 04:04 am 1472267076
August 27th, 2016 at 06:11 am 1472274699
August 27th, 2016 at 02:12 pm 1472303520
August 28th, 2016 at 06:12 pm 1472404359
August 28th, 2016 at 09:44 pm 1472417058