Monarch Butterfly emerging from its chrysalis
"Monarch scientist Dr. Karen Oberhauser describes the process: "To emerge, the adult monarch must split open the pupa cuticle along a line of weakness. ...First, it swallows air through the pupal spiracles. The adult then swallows some of this air into its digestive system. The air causes the body of the monarch to expand. Finally, the cuticle splits along the line of weakness and the adult pulls itself out.""
from Journey North's Monarch Butterfly pages:
www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/index.html
Upper Peninsula of Michigan,
Monarch_0067_DxO-sc03
Monarch Butterfly emerging from its chrysalis
"Monarch scientist Dr. Karen Oberhauser describes the process: "To emerge, the adult monarch must split open the pupa cuticle along a line of weakness. ...First, it swallows air through the pupal spiracles. The adult then swallows some of this air into its digestive system. The air causes the body of the monarch to expand. Finally, the cuticle splits along the line of weakness and the adult pulls itself out.""
from Journey North's Monarch Butterfly pages:
www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/index.html
Upper Peninsula of Michigan,
Monarch_0067_DxO-sc03