Oh yay! I had no idea they did that! I thought they just stayed on the food source the whole time. My sister did see them the day before they went missing and she said they were gigantic compared to when we first found them so perhaps it was time to move on to the next stage. Docmom, the parsley was and is huge and only had one caterpillar on it (that I could see) which is why I found it strange that he was gone as well...as surely HE had enough to eat. All plants outdoors - I should have said "there are no birds in my back yard, I assume because of the *feline* cat enclosure." :) My plant beds are as wide open as can be but I never ever see birds. I'm actually *trying* to attract them with baths, houses and seed - I have a huge grasshopper problem. I always chalked it up to too many kitties nearby - albeit restrained and unable to pounce.

I find that they usually go some distance away to pupate. I have a difficult time spotting them. I noticed yesterday that my really big milk weed was stripped clean and the cats were all fat. Today I was able to find two chrysalises because they did not hide well. One is up under the eaves and the other just stuck itself to the outside of the screen. I hope he makes it.

Earthworms need organic matter, that is what they live on. How much is in the soil?

It sounds like the soil compacts with water - which leads me to believe that there is not enough grit in the mix. I use an inorganic mix of perlite, granite chicken grit and turface. No soil. No bark. This works well for me in my wet and humid climate. However, many people have success with a 50/50 mix of cactus and succulent soil and perlite or grit. It's really chunky and allows good drainage and aeration for the roots. It doesn't compact. It should look like this - And if that is what your potting mix looks like, then I apologize for telling you something that you already know. ;-)