A Butterfly Ready to Emerge

This is the chrysalis stage of a monarch butterfly.  We found it on the outside of one of our buildings.  Monarchs have 3 or 4 generations during a year depending on weather, food and other environmental conditions.  The monarchs we see in the spring are coming from Mexico and have spent the entire winter as a butterfly.  They fly to the central United States, lay eggs then die.  The eggs hatch, repeat the cycle and fly further North.  They repeat this every 2 to 6 weeks then turn South.  This individual is the final hatch of this year and will spend the winter as a butterfly and return to the central United States and repeat the cycle.  Humble, beautiful, tough.  Please plant and protect milkweed plants, a critical plant for the survival of this animal.