August 19, 2018 - Monarch Butterfly - 2

Last week I showed you photos and video of a Monarch butterfly caterpillar changing to a pupa. The pupa is also called a chrysalis. It takes 10 or more days for the chrysalis to mature and become a butterfly. First, the chrysalis looks darker. This photo was taken at 9:47 a.m. on July 26.

ButterflyMonarchchrysalisDunningLakeItascaCounty20180726

When the butterfly wings become visible through the chrysalis case, you know it is close to breaking out. This photo was taken at 4:30 p.m. on July 26.

ButterflyMonarchchrysalisDunningLakeItascaCounty20180726

Just after 6:00 p.m., the butterfly emerged. Notice how short the wings are and how large the body is. Both of these will change quickly as you will see in the next video.

ButterflyMonarchemergingfromchrysalisDunningLakeItascaCounty20180726

The first Monarch has emerged into its butterfly stage and the second one followed a few days later.

ButterflyMonarchemptychrysalisDunningLakeItascaCounty20180726

We took the Monarch out into our wildflower garden and put it on a Wild Bergamot flower. It stayed there for several hours, drying its wings and acclimating to the outdoors. Here you are seeing the underside of the wing.

ButterflyMonarchonethatraisedWildBergamotDunningLakeItascaCounty20180726

The Monarch opened it’s wings a few times and I was able to get a photo of the beautiful pattern of the upper side of the wings. I’m really pleased to get a photo of a just-emerged butterfly because it is still in perfect shape and the colors are so vivid.

ButterflyMonarchonethatraisedWildBergamotDunningLakeItascaCounty20180726