Monarch Caterpillar

Monarch caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly pictures Taken by Kerry W. Bart, August & September 2008 All rights reserved. Here are some descriptions: Monarch 2 cat = mature monarch caterpillar, on Bell jar Monarch 3 J = mature monarch caterpillar, in J formation, getting ready for metamorphosis into chrysalis Monarch 4 J = mature monarch caterpillar. Metamorphosis has begun. Note emergence of green at back of caterpillar's "skull"... the soft chrysalis is literally splitting the skin/shell that used to be the caterpillar. Monarch 5 M = about one minute after 4 J. The inner chrysalis is shedding the caterpillar skin, forcing it up its body. Monarch 6 M = another minute later. The skin is almost completely forced to the top. Monarch 7 C = I suppose it's a chrysalis now. The skin is completely shed, but it is still very soft. Monarch 8 C = two monarch chrysalids. Note the empty chrysalis shell to the left, background. The center chrysalis contains a monarch butterfly ready to emerge. The right chrysalis is a few days from butterfly emergence (and about a week since the chrysalis formed). Monarch 9 C = the butterfly is pretty durn ready to come out of the chyrsalis. any moment now. Monarch 10 B = the butterfly is emerging from the chrysalis Monarch 11 B = five minutes later. its wings are drying. Monarch 13 B = oops sorry I missed 12. This is our first butterfly, about an hour after its emergence, still clinging to its chrysalis shell. The emergence takes about 8 minutes, and then it hangs out for maybe two hours, wings drying, occasionally spreading its wings. Monarch 14 B = ready-to-go monarch butterfly, soon to be released "into the wild". This monarch happens to be a female (male monarch testes are visible as black dots on the wing stripes nearest the lower part of the body) Enjoy! Questions? [email protected]