Our backyard or should I say frontyard science

The caterpillar hangs upside down from our eaves in preparation for "the change"

A couple hours later, they have all formed their chrysalis. The one with the black still there, is almost done. At this point, they have shed their heads, and front feet.

A close-up of the one that is hanging low enough for us all to see.

Another close-up.

Early this week Justin and little Justin noticed a lot of caterpillars crawling up the sides of the house. They were black with spiny thorny hairs all over them. Of those that didn't get the "brush off" with the broom, we have noticed quite the changes to them today.

They hung upside down on our eaves and within hours they started to form their chrysalis. Apparently from the reading I have done tonight- once they were identified (I love Google), I found out that once they climb up to start their change, within 2 days, they form their chrysalis. They do this by hanging upside down. As they form, their head, and front legs are discarded and it drops to the floor. That explains what we found on the concrete when we got back from our ride on the golf cart. Justin thought they were spiny spiders. But I found out online otherwise.

They will form into a butterfly and emerge in 10-15 days. They are all up high in the eaves by the front door...... (now come to think of it....we are having a lot of activity there- between the birds nest, and now the caterpillars) but one caterpillar is low, hanging at almost the boys eye level. So we are going to take that chrysalis, and put it under a netting outside, so that we can capture at least one butterfly to observe before we let it go.