Monarch Chrysalis - Danaus plexippus

Just before they pupate, monarch caterpillars spin a silk mat from which they hang upside down by their prolegs (the silk comes from a spinneret on their head). The caterpillar then stabs a stem into the silk pad to hang from. This stem extends from its rear, and is called a cremaster.

Once they are in the pupal stage, they will begin their final transformation to become an adult butterfly. At the bottom of the chrysalis is the butterfly's head and thorax. The wings are on the sides, and the abdomen is near the top.

Just before the monarch butterfly emerges, their wing pattern becomes visible through the pupal covering. This is not because the pupa is transparent; rather, it is because the pigmentation on the wing scales only develops at the very end of the pupal stage. This stage of development lasts 8-15 days under normal conditions.

Habitat: Rural yard; my mom (@Beamie on JD) collects monarch eggs from the milkweed growing on her property. She puts them in mesh enclosures (kept outdoors) where they can hatch, feast on milkweed, pupate and eventually emerge as adults safely before being released.

Monarch metamorphosis from egg to adult takes as little as 25 days, However, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of monarch eggs and caterpillars survive because they are so vulnerable to weather, parasites, and disease. Monarchs are harbingers of environmental change, and they continue to struggle as a species.