Creekside

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Chrysalis Process – Monarch Butterfly, with Video

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Morning. This is the caterpillar in J stage. It’s hanging with its head down. The backend has cemented itself to the Alstroemeria stem, somewhat sheltered by a leaf. I’m on transformation watch for it to shed its skin. Checking all through this rainy day.
Late afternoon. Very far along. Starting from the bottom, it sheds its skin by wiggling to push it up. The skin is that black folded material.
The skin moves up, revealing what will be the green chrysalis.
It is out of the skin. Sometimes they push they push the black skin entirely away until it falls to the ground. Sometimes it stays there. See the intricacy of the forming chrysalis at the bottom.
Getting dark. I’ll have to photograph the final chrysalis in the morning. I’m very excited. This is my first chance to see a caterpillar settling in place, then hanging J stage, then shedding skin.
Video of how it gyrates to push away the old skin.
Next morning. This is not the final, crystal-like shape of the chrysalis. I will post the final shape, io hope with less rain distorting the surface.

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