A caterpillar makes a chrysalis
This time-lapse video shows a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) wrapping itself in a chrysalis, the protective coating that is home to the caterpillar as it transforms into a butterfly. Each frame of the video indicates that one minute of time elapsed. Watch the video closely. How long does it take the chrysalis to emerge?
Tell me more about butterflies!
When the Painted Lady is in the larval or caterpillar stage, it is a very big eater. The caterpillar is growing so quickly that it outgrows its skin, shedding the top layer several times. Once the caterpillar has grown completely, it finds a safe place and hangs upside down. A silk thread comes out of a hole just below the caterpillar’s mouth (spinneret) and the caterpillar spins a silk pad that it will hang from. In roughly 24 hours, the top layer of the caterpillar’s skin splits and underneath is the chrysalis, which hardens and becomes golden in color. The Painted Lady stays in this protected coating for 7 to 10 days before emerging as a beautiful butterfly.
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