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Sunday, May 21, 2006

More caterpillars



One day after discovering those three fat caterpillars eating the periwinkle leaves, they disappeared. I'd like to think that they burrowed into the ground before becoming butterflies/moths, and were not bird/wasp food. I also couldn't find the two bigger-sized brown bird-poo-like caterpillars on the lime leaves. I think they got taken by the winged ones. Imagine, they're being eaten alive!

Anyways, after watching and clicking away at these two caterpillars, I focused on these small flowers in the grass, halfway between the lime plant and the chain-link fence. Suddenly...I heard a skritch skritch skritch sound. I turned to look at the soursop plant near the fence and spotted...



Another caterpillar! It was happily munching away at the fresh leaves. I watched it for a few seconds and then I did the inevitable. I blew at it. It raised its head menacingly (just look at those horns! Very Darth Maul-like, minus the red and black face paint and yellow eyes). I blew at it some more, and then...



BAM! Those things that stick out appeared from the front of its head. Not red like the other caterpillar's. (I blew at the young green caterpillar in the first pic above later in the afternoon and it finally stuck out its red thingies - antennas?? I think not!) Anyways, I bugged it a few times and it made a U-turn. Mum called out from the kitchen, saying that it was hot outside. Well, it WAS almost 1pm. As I left the soursop plant, I reminded myself to avoid brushing against leaves and plants in the garden. I don't want little green/brown visitors on any part of my person, and I do not want to get an itchy rash/reaction as a result of accidentally touching them. But on the whole, I am glad I spotted another type of caterpillar in the garden. This will be the third kind spotted in the garden in the past two weeks.

At around 3pm, Mum decided to clear some of the books from the book shelves to make room for more of my brother's books. Yes, Big Bro o' Mine...we don't have any more space. You and sis better be bringing some of your stuff back, now that you're married and live elsewhere. =Þ Had to sacrifice most of the National Geographic magazines (oh, those lovely pix!), as Dad didn't want to part with his Western books. There should be a rule...once you've married, you have to take your stuff with you. While setting aside the good books, Mum found a book on butterflies. It has information on keeping caterpillars too. Hmmm...too bad I can't just uproot the lime plant and place it in a cage. I had been thinking of cutting off part of the lime plant where the pupa will be, but I read in that book that one "has to be careful not to put green material in as this goes mouldy and could kill the pupae in the box." Hmmm, what to do? Dad had earlier laughed at me when he pointed out that I had missed seeing the first butterfly emerging from its chrysalis because that had happened so early in the morning. *pout*

I hope I don't get a reputation as The Caterpillar Lady of my neighbourhood. I never realized I was going to turn out this way. Oh right, it's a preventive measure against possible discovery by certain members of the family who have caterpillar phobias. *grin* Big, fat caterpillars...there should be at least one pic in every post.

There's this diamond contest and I don't know when the results will be out. I'm anxious to know the outcome. I'd like to think that I wrote a good enough slogan (I rhymed!!!). And I wasn't kidding when I told my brother that I would chip off a piece of the winnings and donate it to him since he dropped his ring and the 0.06carat diamond fell out of its base. *evil grin* Well, if I gave him a whole diamond, it wouldn't be fair to his wife, would it? *evil grin* I am so not winning this contest. I am too evil.

That's it from me then. Take care all! Oh yes, I'll leave with a nice flower pic...to show that I don't always take caterpillar pix.


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