What to Put in a Jar With Caterpillars

The caterpillar transforming into a butterfly is an image we have all grown up with. Some of us even ventured to take caterpillars and place them into jars to observe their transformation. Watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly requires knowing what materials to place into the jar with your caterpillar.

  1. Leaves

    • Caterpillars eat up to 20 times their body weight a day and require a massive energy supply to support them while they are in a cocoon. Identify the area where you found your caterpillar and place as many green (alive) leaves from that area into the jar as possible with the caterpillar. With most caterpillars, a fistful of leaves will last a day. Replaced them with fresh leaves the next day.

    Stick

    • Place a long, straight stick diagonally in your jar to provide a optimal place for your caterpillar to cocoon. Without this stick, your caterpillar will have no real substrate to use as a weight for the cocoon and it will most likely cocoon on the ground or on the sides of your jar -- killing the ability to move it into a larger area for is transformation.

    Water Sprayer

    • Regularly spray the leaves in your jar to provide healthy amounts of water for your caterpillar. Your fresh and alive plants are usually enough to supply your caterpillar with enough water, but drought or any number of conditions can affect your leaves' water amount.

    Oxygen

    • Your caterpillar needs to have an adequate supply of oxygen in the jar. Create holes in the lid to provide an adequate air flow.