American Lady Butterfly - From caterpillar - To chrysalis - To butterfly!

The chrysalis of the Vanessa virginiensis - sometimes called American Painted Beauty - can vary in color as do the butterflies. This one is brightly colored with green, yellow & brown.

Sipping the coneflower nectar

Here the caterpillar is prepared for metamorphosis.


Drab shades of gray for this chrysalis

A favorite food of this caterpillar (at least in my yard) is Cudweed.

In this view of the same butterfly (as shown above) you can see the top wing colors.

More information about this beautiful insect: http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/V/Vanessa_virginiensis.asp

Photographs by Carolyn Hietala http://carolynhietalapaintings.blogspot.com/