Watched monarch cat turn to chrysalis today

Unbelievably quick too! Started off like this.

I noticed some green on the bottom and ran in to get my camera. In about 30 seconds, it was already turning green!

Continued....

Continued

Continued

Continued - body part about to pop off!

This message was edited Apr 17, 2011 7:26 AM

Loses body part..possibly the rear section, looked like the head.

This message was edited Apr 17, 2011 7:26 AM

Full chrysalis, but still wet.

This message was edited Apr 17, 2011 12:40 AM

I will take another picture tomorrow of the hardened chrysalis. I have been watching for this for a long time, and this is the first one I have seen changing forms. I was amazed how much movement was taking place during the change. It was like the cat was pulling up a pair of pants and then got stuck at the end and part of the body popped right off! I found 3 others today, but they had already changed forms when I discovered them. My milkweed held out and they all made it!

Great day in the back yard!

Russell

This message was edited Apr 17, 2011 7:27 AM

Great day indeed! Thanks Russell for sharing those pics. Wonderful transitioning phase!

Isn't is amazing when you get to watch it? Love the Monarch. Ten days from now it will emerge a beautiful butterfly....God does good work.

Sheila, it was amazing! I have never caught one in action until yesterday. It took about 3 minutes from start to finish. All of the blooms in the yard will be welcome food for our new traveler.

Congrats on catching that! Hope you get to see one eclose too.

I am definitely watching them....darn work gets in the way, though..LOL.

It's a joy to be able to do that, Russell. I was lucky enough to watch Gulf Fritilleray cat. transformation. It's magical!

In about 5 days you should see the chrysalis you first posted turn black and mid morning will emerge in a blink of an eye.

Look at how beautiful that chrysalis is!

I have found 2 newly eclosed monarchs in the last 2 days. I don't know where either one came from - they were well hidden! I will keep an eye on the others and hope to see that magical transformation some time soon.

I was looking at my dill today and was delighted to see 10-15 tiny BST cats crawling on the leaves. Things are really heating up in South Texas!

Russell

That's so exciting Russell! Happy for you.

Great, hope you get to see the transformation too.

Russell, what a wonderful sequence of photos and such a great opportunity for you to see and share. Is there a follow up of the glorious conclusion?

I had 5 monarch emerge on 4/25/11 just before work. I went out to look at them and noticed that they had all turned clear. I took a shower and 3 of them had eclosed already.

Here is a picture just before the eclose.

This one was in the process, but I missed the very beginning of the process.

And they all hung on to the shell of the chrysalis or just beside it like this one. I already have a new batch of cats munching on the milkweed! Yesterday I caught a wasp eating one of the cats....bad wasp!

Great shots Yakmon!! You only missed by a few seconds it is so quick in emerging.

Thanks for sharing Russell. A wonderful sight.

LOVE the photos,,thanks for sharing the miracle.

What awesome photos. Thanks for sharing....I really have enjoyed looking at them.

Good going! When I volunteer at the museum and I see one about to transform, I'll grab whoever is around and make them watch. Well, they usually don't have to be coerced. But I'll grab patrons, volunteers, anybody - and they all agree it's a miracle to watch. I've had people say it's a "once in a lifetime" experience for them. I've seen it many times now, but like I tell people, "It never gets old!" Glad you got to see it - I felt like it took forever for me to see one make a chrysalis for the first time.

Melanie

Wonderful pictures and stories! Thanks for sharing them. My six year old granddaughter lives with us and she and I are following a Monarch that just made its chrysalis late yesterday and this morning. We were given the caterpillar by a friend, along with two large stalks of milkweed that we kept in a vase. It was great to see how quickly it devoured the leaves and grew! I am also growing milkweed plants from seed and planting them as they get big enough to make it outside, but am glad we got to experience this on "borrowed" supplies, before w had enough of our own. When it emerges, is there a way to tell if it is female or male? We want to know whether its name should be Monty or Monica before we release it. Thanks!

Not sure about sexing the Monarchs....maybe Dale will chime in. It is really cool to watch them change forms and emerge as a fully developed adult!

Male Monarchs have scent glands that appear as two black dots on each lower wing. Females lack these. Does anyone have a good photo to demonstrate?

Melanie

Yep...here is the male..see the distinct black dot on the lower wing?

They are absent from the females.

This is the underside of a Monarch's wing, but you can still tell the difference in male and female. The top one is female, with straight even cell markings. The lower one you can see a widening of the black cell edge where the dot is on the dorsal side.

It is also a way to tell the sex inside the chrysalis, but I don't have the pics close enough for that. Nor do I feel I need to know in advance LOL!

LOL.....sonograms for the butterflies to be? That would take all of the fun out of it! I just had another monarch eclose today. They have been busy lately.

Russell

I need some more training to differentiate those. But thanks Sheila.

LOL! No no sonagram needed. I don't worry about the sexing but here is the method if you are interested. http://monarchwatch.org/biology/sexing.htm

Wow---I'll take your word for it, Sheila. All dots and lines seem the same to me.