Mourning Cloak butterflies!

This was quite the experience. Unfortunately, there were far fewer than anticipated. Why? A couple of Mocking birds feeding their new babies. The birds were so voracious, I resorted to removing the chrysalis' from the house into a make-shift screen enclosure and a plastic Halloween pretzel container. I was able to save 10 of them and all hatch perfect, except one.

The butterfly must not have developed completely because the chrysalis was fused to his little head and his wing was deformed.

I had no idea these things would wiggle so much while in the chrysalis.
These are very beautiful butterflies! Burgundy black wings and blue spots!

It was a very interesting experience, if I get lucky enough to have it happen again, I will catch the caterpillars and put them in a mockingbird safe containers.

**Correction from the last post - their heads do not fall off, is was skin which they shed before going into the pupal stage. It must have shrunk and looked like the heads only.