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Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis
Danaus plexippus
28.0836, -80.6081
Field Notes
Description:
After being laid, it takes about 4 days for the eggs to hatch into larvae. The larvae eat milkweed to grow and after about two weeks, the fully-grown caterpillar will be ready to find a place to attach itself so that it can start the process of metamorphosis. It will attach itself using silk and transform into a chrysalis. This one survived two nights of near freezing temperatures before attaching itself to the underside of a column on our house. Nature is wonderful!
Habitat:
In my experience, I have seen chrysalis attached to lawn furniture, leaves, twigs, under the porch...just anywhere the caterpillar can attach themselves.
Notes:
This is what I saw. First the caterpillar will slowly crawl to where it wants to attach itself ( a leaf, a stem, a building) and start forming a "J" like position, hang for several hours and then just as you see the antennae is almost flapping loose, the outer skin begins to split open and the skin is crinkled up toward one end to later fall completely off. The caterpillar shakes and wiggles almost violently as it shed's the outer skin to becomes a chrysalis...the process is awesome to watch! You see the most beautiful shade of green with a ring of tiny gold dots. Fourth photo added just to show the complete transformation!
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