Getting ready

for pupation.
Brimstone butterfly caterpillar has spun a silken pad at the cremaster (base of tail) to anchor itself and also a thread around the abdomen as a support girdle.
It will soon shrug and wriggle its way out of the final larval skin and take on the shape of the pupa. It always looks painful to me, not sure if it is...
The pre-existing imaginal discs will develop into wings, legs, proboscis, compound eyes, all the requirements of butterfly life. Enzymes are turned off or on to enable this process. In about 2 weeks, the pupal case, the chrysalis, will become transparent and I will watch and wait, cameras set up for eclosion (hatching).
I have 12 Brimstone caterpillars and several others in various stages of development. If I'm lucky I will actually see some eclose. If I'm lucky!

23rd June 2023 23rd Jun 23