Monarch Caterpillar Pupation
This monarch caterpillar is Crazy Joe. He's named so because of his multiple escape attempts (once crawling onto my sleeve and hiding while I cleaned his enclosure) and for his propensity to shove other caterpillars out of the way if they were walking on the same stick.
While pupation often takes a back seat to eclosing (emergence of an adult from a chrysalis), I think it is just as fascinating a process, if a little less dramatic.
During the caterpillar stage, sex can only be determined through dissection. However, a chrysalis has distinct male and female indicators. Examine the ring at the top of the chrysalis (9th sternite) just below the cremaster (black stem by which the chrysalis is adhered to a surface). Between the black dots, the 9th sternite will either have a small dimple (perhaps nothing visible at all) or will be bisected by a line. If a line is present, the monarch will be female. This requires a very good eye or a hand lens to determine.
Enjoy!
Watch video Monarch Caterpillar Pupation online, duration hours minute second in high quality that is uploaded to the channel Flick 10 September 2016. Share the link to the video on social media so that your subscribers and friends will also watch this video. This video clip has been viewed 572 times and liked it 6 visitors.
