Moment of Hiatus

Hey guys, I'll probably be updating a lot less during the next week or so because of my finals... its a little bit daunting if you think about it, one paper and I'm officially DONE with Monash University Forever... unless I do end up doing my Honours or something though I haven't really thought about what my Honours dissertation should be about, but that's a worry for another day. For now, its reading up on Media Texts and tending to my butterfly enclosure. I've got a new Butterfly House installed and a few artworks that I plan to showcase in my next update but until then, enjoy the following pictures, a photographic sequence I made (back in the days when I still used jars instead of enclosures) of a caterpillar (P. Demoleus) as it goes through its final moult and transforms into a chrysalis. This was actually quite gross to watch, especially in the early stages when the caterpillar's skin came off! Everything looked raw and wet and bloody!

The caterpillar first strung itself up, after that
it stayed really still. About 24 hours later its skin
started turning transparrent.

The caterpillar then starts moving for the first time
in many hours. Slowly the skin begins to split at the
top of its head

The caterpillar whips its body violently side to side.
Eventually the skin peels away entirely from its body
revealing the soft and raw chrysalis underneat. *you can see
the developeing wing flaps of the butterfly still loose and
independant of the body.

Gradually the caterpillar stops moving. It twitches
occasionally but the movements get less and less.

Finally the caterpillar's body dries up, the developing
wing flaps stick to the body and the outer shell of
the chrysalis develops. Inside, the insect's cells are
breaking down into a soup, which will eventually
reshape into the body of a butterfly.
and the

Approximately two weeks later. The butterfly has
almost fully developed within. Its wings, as you can
see are now visible from within the chrysalis. In
a few more days the chrysalis will split open and...
well you know the rest.

To those of you sitting for your exams, ALL THE BEST! To everyone else, till we meet again.