Monarch chrysalis

In the chrysalis stage, the Monarch caterpillar spins a silk pad on a twig or leaf, and hangs from this pad by its last pair of prolegs. It hangs upside down in the shape of a 'J' (photo 2) and then molts leaving itself encased in an articulated green exoskeleton. At this point, hormonal changes occur, leading to the development of a Monarch butterfly (metamorphosis).