Insects and Spiders

He is Ready to be Released

I missed the eclosure of my first pink chrysalis Queen butterfly. He did it quick and had his wings pumped up before I realized it had happened. The orange stain on the papertowel is butterfly meconium. "Meconium is the leftover part of the caterpillar that was not needed to make the butterfly. This is stored in the intestine of the butterfly and expelled after the butterfly emerges."
https://www.insectlore.com/butterfly-questions.html/
Newly Eclosed Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus)

Danaus gilippusinsectbugmimicclose upgarland texasinsectsbutterfly habitatQueenecloseddrying wingsmeconium