2nd Instar - _TNY_4102
When butterflies lay eggs, they are obviously very small (the eggs - not the butterflies!) so the caterpillars that eventually emerge are also very very small.
As the caterpillar eats (which they pretty much do exclusively) they grow and eventually they quite literally grow out of their skin since the skin doesn't grow with them in the same way ours do.
Their solution is to have the skin burst open and have another, fresh and a bit larger skin to fill out with more food as they keep growing.
These phases are known as instar stages and they go through five of them before turning into a chrysalis and begin the metamorphosis into the adult form, the imago.
This very small one is a 2nd instar stage of the common yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon), also known as the old world swallowtail.
At this stage, they are going for mimicry and produce a pretty convincing imitation of some bird dropping, but with the next instar stage, it will take on the "typical" green with black stripes and orange spots look that will intensify intil it is time to metamorphosize.
2nd Instar - _TNY_4102
When butterflies lay eggs, they are obviously very small (the eggs - not the butterflies!) so the caterpillars that eventually emerge are also very very small.
As the caterpillar eats (which they pretty much do exclusively) they grow and eventually they quite literally grow out of their skin since the skin doesn't grow with them in the same way ours do.
Their solution is to have the skin burst open and have another, fresh and a bit larger skin to fill out with more food as they keep growing.
These phases are known as instar stages and they go through five of them before turning into a chrysalis and begin the metamorphosis into the adult form, the imago.
This very small one is a 2nd instar stage of the common yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon), also known as the old world swallowtail.
At this stage, they are going for mimicry and produce a pretty convincing imitation of some bird dropping, but with the next instar stage, it will take on the "typical" green with black stripes and orange spots look that will intensify intil it is time to metamorphosize.