Monarch emerges from clear chrysalis, and waits for wings to dry.
In a period of only 8 days, the monarch caterpillar forms a chrysalis to protect its morphing, disintegrates into goop, and then reassembles into a butterfly in a process called metamorphosis.
The capabilities to form a chrysalis, dissolve caterpillar tissues, and construct the butterfly all have to be present at once for the animal to exist.
This process could not have developed gradually through random infinitesimal changes (mutations) each increasing the survivability of the creature. The whole process has to be in place and working for the insect to survive. The butterfly mates and produces a caterpillar which goes through metamorphosis to get back to the reproductive stage (butterfly).
If metamorphosis were not fully operational, the insect would die and quickly become extinct. In fact, the insect could never get “started.” Caterpillars could not change into butterflies to produce more caterpillars. The cycle would never work. Partially developed metamorphosis is a death knell.
No evolutionist has ever proposed the sequence of genetic changes needed to develop the metamorphic process. If intelligent scientists cannot even imagine how it was done, is it reasonable to think that it happened by accident? Metamorphosis is strong evidence of an intelligent designer.
Below is a sequence of pictures of two monarch pals. The two caterpillars followed each other around from hatchlings. Click the pictures to enlarge.
These 2 cats were pals from hatchlings
Cat pals attach to form chrysalises
We have a winner-first to chrysalis stage.
Pals continue as chrysalises
A 3rd cat joins, but fails to make a chrysalis
Monarch pals emerge within minutes of each other
This is a 1’15” video of the left hand monarch pal emerging. At the end of the video the right hand monarch begins to break out.
Photo Credit: Sandy Austin has graciously permitted the use of these wonderful monarch pictures and video from her flickr account, even though Sandy disagrees with my position on evolution.
Soli Deo Gloria.
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
6. Changing Chrysalis
Read the sequel:
8. Butterfly vs. Caterpillar
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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:4)
Thursday January 21, 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)
Bible-Science Guy 
“The process cannot develop gradually. ”
In your summary, could you explain that with more detail?
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By: creationbydesign on January 22, 2010
at 9:33 pm
I’ve modified the post to more fully explain the idea.
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By: BibleScienceGuy on January 22, 2010
at 10:22 pm
That is very good, thanks. There would have to be intermediate forms in every stage of the monarch’s development — each of which allowed the being to survive. Then as new mutations occurred, the new forms would have to be selected because they provided a survival advantage at that time (not for a future benefit). On the face of it, this appears absurd beyond belief. The complexity of the complexity and coordinated function of the entire metamorphosis path is too high.
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By: creationbydesign on January 24, 2010
at 9:23 pm