Monarch Chrysalis - Danaus
plexippus
At this stage the larvae, now completely
in the chrysalis is called the pupae. During this phase the caterpillar
body degenerates into a liquid "glop" for lack of a
better time. In one week the metamorphosis is complete and during
this process some amazing changes occur. Tissues in the thorax
region become the wings, the jaws dissolve and new mouth parts
form into a hollow tube for siphoning nectar, the digestive system
changes with the intestines shrinking to match a new diet, sex
organs develop, antennae grow and the twelve simple eyes of the
larvae turn into two compound eyes of the adult. As well as being
the site of this miraculous transformation, I think the chrysalis
is just plain pretty. If you check on the process you'll get
to see the butterfly emerging
from the chrysalis.
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