Rare Video Shows One Of Nature's Miracles In Minnesota

One of nature's miracles that happens all the time in Minnesota is one that most of us never get to see in real life. I had a lucky and very rare moment where I DID get to catch a glimpse of this magic. AND...I caught most of it on camera for you.

Nature's Magic of a Monarch Caterpillar Turning Into Chrysalis Caught On Camera in Minnesota

My daughter fell in love with monarch butterflies when she was about 10 years old and since then, she has helped raise hundreds of butterflies each year. We quickly learned how to spot monarch eggs and it became a weekly ritual to go on the hunt to help save the monarchs. Every summer, we ended up raising over 100 monarchs and have picked thousands of milkweed leaves to keep them all alive.

Jessica Williams - TSM Rochester

After several hundred caterpillars, I always seemed to miss the ONE big moment where the big, chunky caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis. I would see it in a "J", which is what happens up to 18 hours before the big transformation. But I always missed that moment it completely transformed into a chrysalis.

This past Sunday, my daughter was home from college and brought with her a caterpillar that she raised from an egg. It was huge and showed signs that the transformation into a chrysalis would be happening soon. So, we kept it close and she was basically watching it nonstop so we didn't miss any of it.

canva

I was in the basement learning how to use my Cricut and all of a sudden, she started screaming, "It's time! It's time!". This caterpillar was a little bit slower than most but after a lot of wiggling, it finally finished turning into a chrysalis in about 8 minutes.

I couldn't keep this magic to myself so if you'd like to see it happen too, enjoy the TikTok below that I made.

Does a monarch make a cocoon or a chrysalis?

And to all who are going to send me e-mails, I know, I called it a cocoon in the TikTok. I am well aware that it is a chrysalis. Trust me, I've seen hundreds of them hanging in my house. I just had a brain fart for a bit.