![]() | Is he dead?? | ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Cyana meyricki pupa inside a cocoon)
No, it is probably fine. When a Caterpillar is fully grown, it turns into a pupa or chrysalis, often inside a silk cocoon. This change into a pupa can take several days during which time it looks dead, but actually it working hard inside to begin its change to a moth or butterfly. The pupal stage may then last anything between a week and two years depending on the species and conditions. At the end of that time, if the pupa has not been damaged or attacked, the moth or butterfly emerges.
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(updated 5 September 2001, 23 November 2018)