Waste not, want not

A few days ago we found a very small black swallowtail caterpillar on some of our dill. We brought it inside to raise it.

This morning I noticed that it was shedding its old skin.











Then it turned around to begin to eat its old skin.

















Almost gone. Yum!

Although it might seem unappealing, it's a great example of how other creatures (other than humans) don't let anything go to waste. Nature can create wonderful things in abundance without the pollution we create.

Maybe we should follow their lead (though I do draw the line at this particular practice ...)



Note: Biomimicry is a fascinating field of design/engineering. It learns from nature to create new products and practices.