Chrsalids

Chrys•a•lis
DEFINITION: At the chrysalis stage: used to describe the stage between larva and adult in an insect and the
protective covering formed at this time.
Also called Chrysalid
Insect between larva and adult: an insect at the stage of changing from larva to adult, during which it is inactive and encased in a hard cocoon.
Insect cocoon: the hard cocoon that protects a butterfly, moth, or other pupa during its change from larva to adult
Thing developing: anything in an early or intermediate stage of development.

Insects that undergo complete metamorphosis include butterflies, moths, beetles, bees, and flies. Among these species the young, which are called larvae, look completely different from their parents, and they usually eat different food and live in different
environments.

After the larvae grow to their full size, they enter a stage called the pupa, in which they undergo a drastic change in shape. The body of a pupating insect is confined within a protective structure. In butterflies, this structure is called a chrysalis, and in some other insects the structure is called a chamber or a cocoon. The larva's body is broken down, and an adult one is assembled in its place. The adult then breaks out of the protective structure, pumps blood into its newly formed wings, and flies away. When a caterpillar reaches its full size, it prepares to complete its metamorphosis, the radical change in body form that turns a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Metamorphosis takes place inside the pupa, or chrysalis, a hard, sometimes thorny, oval structure. Most caterpillars pupate by attaching themselves to a twig or other support. Hanging from the twig, the caterpillar sheds its skin to reveal the pupa underneath. Most moth caterpillars spin a cocoon of silk around their bodies before becoming a pupa. The cocoon helps protect the pupa from predators and from drying out. The pupal stage may last anywhere from one week to several years, depending on the species...