Selena discovered this little green moth caterpillar today. It was stretched out in our driveway. We brought it in for a little more investigation. She thought it was neat the way it curled up when we touched it, but was disappointed that it didn’t totally unroll itself. We talked about it’s camouflage and how being green it could hide on leaves and in the grass.
Her hypothesis was that someday this caterpillar would be beautiful butterfly. We explained that yes, it would go through a metamorphous, by making a cocoon, but that it would become a moth and not a butterfly. She looked around and asked where it’s cocoon was, we had to explain that it had not made one yet. I do think she was a little confused, but excepted our answers. Believe me next summer we will definitely be getting her a butterfly kit.
We both loved how she understand that butterflies come from caterpillars, that the caterpillar has to have a cocoon to become a butterfly, and what the terminology of metamorphous, and camouflage meant.
Come on over to Adventures in Mommydum for more Sunday Science.
I wonder if you kept that little guy in a jar, with twigs, and leaves, if it would spin a cocoon?
ReplyDeleteI love little caterpillars like that Good job Selena on knowing all of that
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice, big fat caterpillar! Nothing like seeing the real thing to help with understanding.
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