Orange-tip Butterfly Clementine - the second part of this amazing story.
A visit from a female Orange-tip butterfly to the garden in April presented an opportunity too good to miss — to follow the progress of an egg she laid, its hatching into a tiny orange caterpillar, and watching it grow throughout May and into June.
Hi, I’m Mark. I’ve been studying hoverflies for over 10 years, frequently recording and writing about them in this publication. However, I’m also passionate about all aspects of nature and fascinated by all the joy it can bring. So, when the opportunity arose to sit and observe wildlife in my own garden it’s time to relax and simply enjoy the moment.
Clementine was born on the 8th of May — a minute orange caterpillar, no larger than a pencil nib and as fine as a strand of hair. So tiny was she that a hand lens was needed to see her at all. She had hatched from a speck of an orange egg, had I not seen her mother lay it, I might easily have overlooked it.
Watching her grow and develop has been such a privilege - a spectacle to behold, bringing me so much pleasure over the past month.
If you’re new to my publication, or haven’t read my previous article, ‘Nature’s Joy – Orange-tip Butterfly Visit’, then please click here…
