Once the old caterpillar skin has been slipped upward,
and the pupa's grasp has been transferred to the cremaster, the pupa writhes to loosen and discard the shed covering. The pupa stops its vigorous twisting when the old skin is shaken free. The fresh, bright, new jade-colored skin is soft. Deeply fissured rings encircle the newly emerged pupa.
Already specific areas of the prospective butterfly are apparent. The thorax, abdomen, and wing buds can be seen. Distinguishable parts of the butterfly are actually already formed and await growth or maturation. The surface of the pupa smooths, rounds out, and hardens, to a polished appearance.
At last, the mature pupa is complete with its gold spots that give it the name chrysalis, the greek word for gold. In their own right these gold spots have their own magic. Uniquely magnificent, the gold spots have a crucial link
to the coloration of the monarch's wings!
In time the developing wings can be clearly seen through the casing of the pupa. Weather greatly affects the length of time it takes for the pupa to develop. The pupa gradually changes color as its metamorphosis progresses over the next week or two, from green to brown. The pupa appears to ripen, as though building toward a climax in richer, more brilliant color.
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