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Life Cycle of the Butterfly LbNA #13435 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Feb 11, 2005
Location:
City:Gresham
County:Multnomah
State:Oregon
Boxes:4
Planted by:Maiden1974
Found by: Hiking Hearts (3)
Last found:Sep 2, 2007
Status:FFFFFFFFr
Last edited:Feb 11, 2005
These boxes are currently missing (or so it's been reported, Tooth Fairy is in the process of recarving so they can be replaced)

These boxes were a combined effort by Tooth Fairy and Pupp. Tooth Fairy concieved the idea, made the log books, placed the boxes, and wrote the clues. Pupp carved the stamps.

This series of boxes is VERY kid friendly. It was planted by Tooth Fairy (7) with Jay Jeopardy tagging along (5). Be sure to read the clues out loud to any kids with you, this was meant to teach kids new things about butterflies!

To the starting point:
Butler Creek Park is a 3.97 acre neighborhood park located at 2385 SW 27th Dr. This park is very beautiful and has many activities for all ages. The park is very accessible by car or by foot. The park has a trail that leads up from Binford Lake and is a beautiful walk or an exciting bike ride. The park is part of the 1.41 mile long Butler Creek Greenway Trail. The main area of the park includes a basketball court, which is good for all ages. Next to the basketball court is a wall made especially for wall ball, half-court tennis and other such games. There are also open lawns and two play areas for young children. Butler Creek is near by and will provide a place for children to challenge their curiosity. The picnic tables are for lunches, for parties and just to sit outside. This park is very pretty and offers enjoyment of nature for the whole family. Butler Creek Park provides great entertainment for all ages.
The trail begins at Butler Creek Park, located on SW 27th Drive at Mawrcrest Avenue.

To start your learning journey, find the Butler Creek trail, which starts by a bench.

Box #1 (Box 1 is missing, soon to be replaced 7/2005)
Female butterflies lay many eggs during their short life to insure that even a small number of these eggs will survive. Caterpillars (butterfly larva) hatch from eggs. The eggs are usually laid in a protected location on or near the plants that the soon-to-be caterpillar will eat such as in the roots of a holey tree. Most eggs are attached to the plant with a fast-drying glue-like chemical that the female butterfly secretes along with the egg. Please sure that the box is covered well from all directions.

Continue on the main trail. Ignore all side paths.

Box #2
A caterpillar is the larval stage of butterflies and moths. The caterpillar hatches from a tiny egg and will eventually pupate and turn into an adult butterfly or moth.
This larval stage usually lasts from two weeks to about a month. This is the main feeding stage of the butterfly. Caterpillars eat almost constantly and grow very quickly, at an astonishing rate.
Our catepillar was so hungry he ate this poor tree down to a stump, right there next to the creek. Please be sure this box is extra well covered or it will be vulnerable.

Continue on the main trail. After crossing the bridge, go left.

Box #3
The pupa is the stage in a butterfly's (or moth's) life when it is encased in a chrysalis and undergoing metamorphosis. It does not eat during this stage. The pupa stage lasts from a few days to many months (some butterflies overwinter in the pupa stage, and the adult emerges in the spring).
BUTTERFLIES
The pupa of a butterfly is called a chrysalis (derived from the Greek word for gold). The chrysalis of many butterflies (like the Nymphalidae and Satyridae families) are suspended from a silk pad and abdominal hooks. Others (like like swallowtails and sulphurs) also have a silk girdle supporting their mid-section. About a day before the adult butterfly emerges, the chrysalis of many species (including the monarch) becomes transparent.
MOTHS
Some moths spin a silk cocoon which protects the pupa. Some moth larva tunnel into the ground up to several inches where it will pupate.

Our butterfly wasn't sure whether he was a moth or a butterfly so he crawled up the tree to the crotch then tunneled in. He can almost reach out and touch the snag near his home.

Continue on the main path again. Cross a couple more bridges and two streets.

Box #4
An adult butterfly emerges full-grown from the chrysalis, often losing reddish meconium fluid as it leaves. When the adult emerges, its wings are wrinkled, wet and deflated, but the abdomen is distended with fluid. The butterfly pumps some of this fluid into the wings through veins to inflate them. The butterfly then rests and then lets the wings dry out. The primary purpose of the adult stage is to mate and reproduce. Our beautiful butterfly is resting behind a Western Red Cedar, fanning it's wings next to Johnson Creek. You'll see him directly at the end of the bridge in a small group of trees.

We hope you've enjoyed this series and learned something new about butterflies.

Tooth Fairy and Pupp