The skin splitting--isn't that shedding its caterpillar garb? Then the white could be the newly formed chrysalis and perhaps it will darken later? I'd probably just let it be and keep a stick in there for it to climb up when (if) it ecloses. Making it wriggle at such a vulnerable stage may not be the best thing for it. Chrysalises can wiggle when disturbed--it helps them to ward off pesky predators. Hope it all works out and you get to see a beautiful butterfly. I would love to find MC cats. Good luck!

Yes, Ron, I love blue curls. They grow around here already, but they're not very common, so I'm glad to get the seeds. I love the delicate intricacy of the flowers, and blue is my favorite flower color. On our last night before returning home from Georgia, we stayed in a hotel in Thomasville, GA. There were some plants that looked like they'd be butterfly favorites growing in a wet area close to our room, alongside cypress and willow trees, and the fact that they were blooming in late November impressed me. I suspected right away that they were Bidens alba, a plant that is supposed to be invasive, so I'd nixed planting it here before. But seeing that it mainly thrives in sandy soil, I'm thinking it might be limited by the heaviness of my soil. I took two cuttings, but them in a styrofoam coffee cup with a top to keep the water from spilling, brought them home, and put them in rooting containers. The cuttings have remained erect since I cut them, so maybe they'll root, even though my house isn't really warm enough to promote root formation. I'm thinking that this plant may be vigorous enough to root anyway. I took this picture of the flowers - The flowers were just too cute for me to resist. Sherry

I can see why you think those two catetpillar species look alike. But they are not related at all. The 'spit fire' of your memory is one of the stinging catetpillars...the adults are moths. We have related species ovef here....yikes, they pack a powerful sting. The Orchard Swallowtail butterfly is very closely related to our Giant Swallowtail. Magnificent butterflies. Their caterpillars do NOT sting but are capable of devouring a whole lot of foliage....overnight. I grow seedling lemons for the sole purpose providing a host plant for these caterpillars. The trees look like you know what before too long, but its fun to watch the whole lifecycle unfold before your eyes. I should add that if you decide to protect your young tree, you can probably do so without any chemicals. Between the birds, the tiny parasitic wasps, and other wasps and hornets, and your own fingers, you should be able to avoid excessive damage. This post was edited by rhizo_1 on Tue, Feb 26, 13 at 6:24

In the first pic, the caterpillar looks blue. They turn that color when they are getting ready to pupate. But the fact that the caterpillar did not attach itself to something first is weird. My suggestion is to place it in something with a smooth bottom. If it is going to pupate, it will be able to do it in there. I also suggest you cover the container with something. I suggest netting held on by a rubberband. This is because there is a chance something else besides a butterfly is going to emerge and you probably don't want a wasp flying around your house.