Life is Five Days Long

Atlas Moths
Photo taken at Butterfly Farm, George Town, Grand Cayman, April 26,2006


Life is five days long for the Atlas moth. She spent six months inside a cocoon for her transformation into the largest moth and then has only five days to find her mate and lay 250 eggs that will become the next generation of caterpillars. Excuse us for being voyeurs but we are here at the Butterfly Farm for only a few hours.
Our guide was an artist who used wonderful metaphors to explain the life cycles of caterpillars and butterflies. Five layers of skin so that the caterpillar can double in size four times before the fifth layer becomes the chrysallis. For some reason, the guide thought that we cruise ship tourists might connect with their purpose of eating until one outgrows ones own skin. Once inside the chrysallis or cocoon, a caterpillar is reduced to DNA soup and becomes a totally different creature.
The butterflies who are poisonous can take the time to stop for pictures. The ones who aren't poisonous are more likely to be the ones who flit and are more difficult to photograph.
The Hurricane of 2005 in Grand Cayman destroyed its citrus trees and endangered the indigenous catterpillars and butterflies that depend upon those trees. During the cleanup and restoration of their human lives, many people brought the caterpillars they found to the Butterfly Farm for sanctuary until new citrus trees are planted. I have concern for how the ending of this story will be written as I observed the building of resort complexes and strip malls on this side of the island.