I know - its a bit blurry and fuzzy and its hard to make out what it is.  I used a macro lens to take the photograph, and then edited it in such away that the magnification was even more obvious. The thing I took the picture of is minuscule, perhaps 3-5mm in length. To the naked eye they just look like tiny black squiggles, it is impossible to make out any of the detail, or colours you can see in the photo.  I think, this is the head end - its was the end that was moving anyway, chomping on its Fennel lunch, its food plant of choice.

So what is it you ask? It's a newly hatched caterpillar. The larva of the British Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon britannicus). One of our most beautiful, and rare butterflies. Metamorphosis is a process that fascinates me. It resonates with me on many levels, and one day I hope to emerge as a beautiful butterfly too. My bees go through a very similar process, from egg, to larva to bee, too.

So what am I doing with this rare and beautiful creature? Well, for now, I am its keeper, I decided that I would like to try and breed butterflies. That is an ambitious target, so to begin with, I decided I had better learn how to raise them first.  I purchased 10 newly emerged caterpillars, and am keeping them in a little cage designed by breeding experts specifically for what I am attempting to do.

I have a plentiful supply of Fennel growing in the garden, which is a favoured food plant of the Swallowtail larva. So I chose these as my first foray into raising butterflies. The fine mesh on the cage allows plenty of air to circulate, but prevents wasps and flies that might predate or parasitise the caterpillars getting to them. It also helps create a micro climate that protects them from large fluctuations in temperature or light.

I am hoping I can raise them from tiny squiggles, to pupae and then onto beautiful native butterflies which I will set free on a local fen, which is the kind of environment the adults prefer. I'll keep you update on how they do.