Thursday, May 28, 2015

Stage 3: Pupa (Chrysalis)


Our Children's Room is currently home to 15 caterpillars - now chrysalides!  Check out our photographs below!


The pupa, also known as a chrysalis, is the third stage in the life cycle of a butterfly.  During this stage the caterpillars attach themselves to a surface (usually a twig or leaf) and shed their final layer of skin to reveal a hard layer, called a chrysalis.  

During this stage you may also see some of the chrysalides moving or swinging back and forth.  This is caused by the pupae flexing their abdominal segments.  It is a defense mechanism to scare away predators!


Fun Fact: The caterpillars spin a silk pad which they use to attach themselves to a surface before the pupa stage.


See pictures from Stage 2: Caterpillar here.

No comments:

Post a Comment