It takes 10 to 14 days for a monarch butterfly to emerge from the cocoon, and after all that waiting, the actual process happens rather quickly. In less than a minute, this butterfly was out of its cocoon, and in about another 7 minutes, the wings were fully extended.
The new butterflies hang for a while to let their wings dry, and then they're off.
This one struggled across the grass, awkwardly, un-butterfly like,
before he finally discovered his wings.
I've always loved these butterflies,
but my admiration for them has grown as I've watched their tenacity,
and when they finally fly, my heart takes wing along with them.
We're wishing them a happy winter in Mexico,
or wherever they made reservations this year,
and we'll leave the lights on for them next spring.
For the metamorphosis, click here.
Linking with Our World Tuesday
and Saturday's Critters
