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Setting the foundations

With the first strings of chitin, this Cairns Birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) caterpillar begins the creation of a chrysalis which will house the caterpillar until it is ready to emerge as a fully grown butterfly. Image credit: Johan Larson

This week’s reader photo was taken by Johan Larson in Redlynch, Queensland.

“A Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) caterpillar in the process of suspending itself in order to start the transformation into a chrysalis. The butterfly will then develop within the chrysalis and later emerge as Australia’s largest butterfly,” explains Johan.

“The Cairns birdwing caterpillars feed on the leaves of native vines (Aristolochia spp. and Pararistolochia spp). Unfortunately a closely related species, the dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia elegans) has been introduced to Australia and when the caterpillars feed on this vine they die.

“I’m lucky to have a native vine in my backyard with a fairly constant supply of caterpillars and that’s where I captured this photo,” says Johan.

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