BUTTERFLIES 



67 



the abdominal segments. 

 The animal at this stage is 

 known as a larva. 



Formation of pupa. After 

 a life of a few weeks at most, 

 the caterpillar stops eating 

 and begins to spin a tiny mat 

 of silk upon a leaf or stem. 

 It attaches itself to this web, 

 head downward, and sheds 

 its skin again. After this 

 molt, it is without legs or 

 mouth parts. It hangs to the 

 stem in a dormant stage and 

 is known as the chrysalis 

 (kris-d-lis) or pupa. During 

 this stage many changes take 

 place and the caterpillar 

 gradually changes into a 

 butterfly. 



The adult. After some 

 weeks of inactivity in the 

 pupa state, the pupa case 

 splits along the back, and 

 the adult butterfly emerges. 

 At first the wings are soft and 

 much smaller than in the 

 adult. Within fifteen min- 

 utes to half an hour after the 

 butterfly emerges, however, 

 the wings expand and dry, 

 and the insect is ready to fly 



The skin splits and a light green chrys- 

 alis emerges, which gradually changes 

 its shape. After a time the butterfly 

 comes out of its chrysalid shell. It clings 

 to the shell, spreading and stretching his 

 wings until they are dried and strength- 

 ened. 



