What Is a Chrysalis Made Out Of?

Beginnings

• When a butterfly egg hatches, a ravenous caterpillar emerges and eats as much as it can. When it reaches full size, the caterpillar sticks itself to the underside of a leaf with a small tab of silk and forms a hard layer of skin called a chrysalis.

Significance

• Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar seems dormant as it undergoes a process called metamorphosis. Its organs, tissue and limbs take on adult shapes and it grows its wings.

Completion

• Once the transformation is complete, the chrysalis splits open and the adult butterfly emerges. After a brief rest to allow the wings to expand and harden, the butterfly flies off to begin its adult life.