This is the first time I found one of these chrysalises. I have plenty of Variegated frits and their cats on the Maypop, but never saw one of these before. I think it's very pretty for a chrysalis.
It has silk threads around it, you can see them in the photo. I'm wondering if the cat did it. Does anybody know? I thought first it was spider web and was going to remove it so the butterfly wouldn't get tangeld up in it. But then I thought it looked like it was there on purpose so I left it.
Variegated Fritilary chrysalis
Ops! forgot the photo.
Never seen anything like it! After lots of hunting, the chrysalis of the Common Buckeye butterfly is the closest thing I found. The only way to know for sure is to take it home and wait for it to hatch.
http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/wes/webquests_themes/butterfly_lucille/butterfly_species/buckeye/pages/chrysalis_jpg.htm
Here is some information and a picture of the butterfly:
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/butterflypages/detailpages/commonbuckeye.htm
I know that it is a Variegated Fritillary. It's actually one of few butterflies that is shown as an adult, a cat and a chrysalis in my id book.
What I really wanted to know was whether the cat might have put up that silk "cage" around it.
I have some Buckeyes coming to visit, but not too many. I wouldn't have had a clue what it's chrysalis looked like.
I got the answer to my question today. I saw this cat fixing to shed his last cat skin. I didn't think to take a photo until hours later when it was already a chrysalis.
This one has the same cage of silk spun around him so I'm going to assume that all Variegated frits do that.
The dark thing on the leaf is the dried up skin it shed.
