Chrysalis

This empty chrysalis shell was stuck to a peat pot in the polytunnel. I'm not a butterfly expert, so please, correct me if I'm wrong. I believe it may be from a Small Tortoiseshell. Nettles surround my polytunnel so, as they are the food plant, it makes sense that the caterpillars should crawl in.

The life cycles of moths and butterflies are immensely fascinating. How can caterpillars dissolve into a soup within their own bodies, reconstruct and emerge as a fully winged creatures of such beauty?

Last year I had a little rant with the BBC. I'd watched a few of their programs, promoting British butterflies. They talked about how numbers are seriously decreasing, the basic species and the food plants but none mentioned, other than in passing, the most important point.
A survey showed that 9 out of 10 people would like to see more butterflies. When the same people were asked how they resolved a problem of caterpillars in the garden 7 out of 10 either poisoned or squashed them!

I wish I were making this up! Are people really that stupid?

I think, maybe the BBC should spread a little love for caterpillars!

This could have been today's blip!