During the recent episode of posts related to milkweeds I tried my best to locate a Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) chrysalis (cocoon or pupae). I finally found one last week and it was green in color, but I did not have a camera with me. When I returned last Friday the chrysalis had just hatched with the newly emerged monarch butterfly nearby drying its wings.
Thus, the "Circle of Life" continues for the monarch butterfly. The fluffy fibers that you see are attached to seeds being released from the adjacent seed pod.
The chrysalis is actually clear in color, and shows through the color of the pupae. So, at first it appears green, but gradually changes to orange and black as the pupae develops and nears hatch time. A great website that shows the process can be found at http://www.monarchbutterflyusa.com/Chrysalis.htm (You will have to copy this address and type it in manually into your preferred search engine).
