Monarch Chrysalis

I had just watched the Monarch caterpillar shed its skin for the final time, to reveal its beautiful chrysalis. This is RIGHT after the skin fell off and it is holding on for dear life while wriggling to push the spiny aspects of its cremaster (or pupa stalk) into the silk button holding it to the bottom of the leaf. This creates a more secure hold. Once that's done, it will hang there for about 10 days until it completes the metamorphosis into a butterfly.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• monarch
• chrysalis
• caterpillar
• pupa
• butterfly