Once again I fix my gaze upon the young caterpillar. In two to three weeks it will reach maturity. Red-spotted Purple caterpillars in more northern climes are still resting comfortably in their hibernacula. However, for this individual excellently disguised in its bird dropping costume and now nearly an inch and a half long, it is time for metamorphosis. The search for a pupation site begins.
Most butterflies are very secretive as to where they pupate.
Fortunate is the observer who finds a Red-spotted Purple chrysalis in the wild. When the site is chosen, silk is spun once again. The hind end is attached to an object, usually a branch, by this silk. It hangs suspended upside down for a day or so. Then, one of nature's great makeovers occurs as the caterpillar's skin is shed one final time and a chrysalis appears.