Science in Our Backyard

I normally will spray and squash the pests that I find on our leaves, but what I found last week looked too precious to kill.   I went to the garden to show how abundant our basil has grown since the ambush of rainfall.

And then I found this at the corner of my eye ...

Let's take a closer look at these caterpillars!

I noticed these guys all had white patches on their back.  Could that be the remnants of their molting?  Or maybe of what their egg sac was?

I showed Simone and Max the bugs and they seemed to be fascinated.  We would have been out there longer, but I had been carrying both in my arms so that they wouldn't get dirty in the soggy grass.  They had just taken a shower and  normally I don't let them outside once they've bathed, but seeing life science up close and personal was too valuable to pass up.  My arms tired out, however and we went in very soon.  

4 days later I checked up on the caterpillars and they were twice as big!  

They also had moved from the singular carrot plant on one corner of the planter box to the other bunches on the opposite end.  It's good to know that these guys love carrot leaves and will leave alone the basil, which had been on the way to the second patch of carrots.

I wonder what we'll find when we return to the planter box?  Based on the time that has passed, I'm hoping we're finding little chrysalises!