This is the crowning moment of the Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis. Seeing the butterfly pushing open its sheer chrysalis casing door and flipping out into the world whole and perfect is a joyous observation and one that causes one to pause and ponder at the marvels of our natural world. While we pause, the Monarch butterfly's over sized abdomen pumps liquid life into veins woven throughout its wings . . . causing the wings to expand. The butterfly hangs helpless as the wings, that will carry it towards a miraculous migration, dry and harden.
If you would like to learn and see more of this fascinating stage of the Monarch Metamorphosis click here and here.
Carol, this is so impressive. I don't know about the Puerto Rican Monarchs that I photographed here. Their chrysalid never looked so transparent as yours before they came out. They always looked jade green, and just a little darker before they came out, but not as transparent as yours! This is impressive! I don't know if they are the same Monarchs. They were raised in a Calotropis procera milkweed tree.
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