![]() Monarch butterfly chrysalis in my garden. The metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis is the next stage in the butterfly life cycle. It molts one last time into a pupa or chrysalis. It may stay still for about a day, as the pupal skin forms under the old skin. The chrysalis may turn brown to better camouflage in the brown of the log or leaf litter. If it is close to winter, the caterpillar may crawl into leaf litter, a log pile or other sheltered spot. Others species spin a silken harness to secure it to the plant. The caterpillar hooks to the silk pad with its rear claspers. If it will change while hanging from a plant, it spins a silken pad with its lower lip or jaw spinnerets. ![]() Monarch larva/caterpillar getting ready to weave its’ chrysalis. It may wag the front part of its body from side to side and may wander away from the food plant. ![]() Once it reaches the full size, it stops eating. After shrugging off the old skin, it will expand its body with air to get rid of the old skin before the new skin hardens. It sheds its old skin starting with the head. It will molt or shed it’s skin four to six times during the larval growing stage. When it can no longer stretch anymore it grows a new skin. It’s skin will only stretch a small amount. It accumulates enough fat to go through metamorphosis and change into a butterfly. These parasites would then hatch and eat it.Ĭaterpillars may grow for two to four weeks. Is is vulnerable to parasites that try to lay their eggs within the caterpillars. In this larval stage it’s skin is still soft. If it survives predators and disease long enough, it will grow to a mature larva. It alternates periods of feeding and resting during the day. Pipevine Swallowtail larva on Dutchman’s Pipe vine. Other larva are covered with spines, false eye spots and other markings. The photo is of Milkweed butterfly larva on a milkweed pod. It gets this bad taste from eating the milkweed plant, its host plant. Others like the milkweed larva, are brightly colored to warn off those who would eat it. Some eat flower buds, seeds or roots.Ī larva is often well camouflaged in shades of greens and browns. Most butterfly larva will eat the host plant its egg was laid on. The caterpillar is the larval stage in the butterfly life cycle.Īfter the egg hatches, it may start its eating binge by eating the shell of the egg from which it hatched. Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly Larva (caterpillar) in my garden.
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