Well, I can't believe that I blew it! I missed the actual transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis, again. I checked the caterpillar (shown in the next photo) just before 11:25 a.m., and at 11:42, the caterpillar had shed its skin and formed the chrysalis. It took only that short time and though I'd been checking every 20-25 minutes, it was not enough to catch the act. Next year!!

The photo on the left shows the chrysalis at 11:42, still small and lumpy, and on the right, 16 minutes later, the chrysalis has smoothed out and is bigger. This new chrysalis was still moving quite a bit as things got sorted out. But by noon, it had grown even more, smoothed out more and stopped moving. Now it waits until the transformation into butterfly begins. Just think, the caterpillar chews its food (milkweed leaves), and while in the chrysalis, it will gradually change into a winged creature who sips nectar for food instead. Everything changes! Miraculous.