Florida Nature Pictures
Butterflies

Julia Longwing Butterfly Life Cycle
Dryas julia

These are young Julia Butterfly caterpillars or larvae.
The spines look dangerous but they are not poisonous.
You can pick them up and not get hurt.
These were found on my Passiflora suberosa Passion Vine commonly known as Corky Stem Passionvine.
I have this vine growing in between patches of grass at home here in south Florida.
I brought them inside to raise in a bug box.
Most of the one in the wild will have parasitic wasps on their backs.
These wasps lay eggs inside the caterpillars.
The baby wasps usually burst out of the pupa and the butterfly does not make it....

Here is an older one. Black markings appear on the head.

Here is a third or fourth instar caterpillar. Its about ready to pupate. It even looks like its going to burst at the seams!

Here he is in the J shape getting ready to shed the skin and become a pupa.
It can hang like this for about a day.
The area just under the head starts to lighten in color.
This also happens with The Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar in the J shape.

Here is the pupa or chrysallis of the Julia Butterfly.
Does not look too pretty.
Looks like melted wax actually!
The pupal stage is about 2 weeks.

This butterfly has just emerged.
The picture to the left is the butterfly still drying its wings.
I am still trying to get a better picture :)

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