There are four stages in a butterfly’s life-cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly.
When the monarch caterpillar is grown, it attaches itself to something and hangs upside down. It quickly forms a protective covering (chrysalis) around itself.
At first the chrysalis is ridged but smooths out in a few hours. It changes in color from jade green with gold spots to black and finally to clear before the butterfly breaks out of the chrysalis.
Here is a sequence of pictures showing the changing monarch chrysalis, from the caterpillar to the butterfly. Click images to enlarge.
Cat attaches upside down
Final molt shows chrysalis beneath
Just-formed. Ridges will soon smooth out.
Gold-spotted jade chrysalis
Chrysalis turns black near the end
Chrysalis turns clear. Butterfly visible.
Butterfly breaks out of chrysalis
Newly emerged monarch
Read the prequels in this series on Monarch Butterflies and their significance for the creation/evolution controversy:
1. Insect GPS
2. Monarch Butterflies
3. Caterpillar or Butterfly—Which Was First?
4. Monarch Caterpillars
5. Morphing Monarchs
Read the sequel:
7. Emerging Monarchs (with video)
©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
Monday January 18, 2010 A.D.
And Yahweh made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and Yahweh saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:25)
