Identify this Chrysalis

November 15, 2013 9:35 PM

Saw this chrysalis on an old wooden picture frame inside a house. Would love to know what's going to emerge from this this thing. Description and Links to photos inside.

Mystery Chrysalis

Photo One
Photo Two
Photo Three

Although it looks large in these photos, it's only about 3/4" long and only just over an 1/8" wide at it's widest point. I'm in the Northeast (NY State) and just found this.

Also curious as to how far along it is...i.e. any estimates as to when this mystery insect will emerge?

posted by samoa to Science & Nature (7 answers total)

Response by poster: Just doing some google searching on my own, this (scroll down to bottom of post) looks quite similar to the chrysalis in question and there's a photograph of the caterpillar that made it, but still no identifying information.
posted by samoa at 10:32 PM on November 15, 2013

butterfly, certainly, but you probably already knew that. And it probably won't make an appearance until spring... can't see it wanting to come out in the winter.
posted by The otter lady at 10:40 PM on November 15, 2013

Response by poster: ...And, I'm gonna identify it myself. Pretty sure it's the Pupa of a Cabbage White Butterfly
posted by samoa at 10:41 PM on November 15, 2013

The closest I'm coming so far is some sort of cabbage butterfly based on the chrysalis and the caterpillar you linked to.
posted by Gneisskate at 10:43 PM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ah, the scrounge of my cabbages and brocolli. Do not release near a veggie patch.
posted by Kerasia at 12:38 AM on November 16, 2013

Chrysalides of closely related butterflies are really hard to tell apart. Or they can be. It's a pretty good bet that's it's a cabbage white, because they're ubiquitous. But there're many Pieridae butterflies that have a chrysalis like that. (As I recall from my days working in a live butterfly exhibit.)
posted by Coatlicue at 5:29 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'm pretty sure that's a metapod and it turns into a butterfree.
posted by DaddyNewt at 5:52 PM on November 16, 2013 [3 favorites]