You remind me that I actually have an interesting lepidopterological question to ask.  Years ago I found a Monarch caterpillar on some milkweed and brought him home. I put him on a potted parsley plant and draped him with gauze to protect him from birds and he proceeded like Topsy to grow and grow.

I was fortunatley at home when he began to construct his cocoon and I watched the process with fascination. When he had completely entered the pupal stage (and what a gorgeous pupa he was, diaphanous green with raised black and gold dots) I did the unforgiveable - I accidentally jostled the pot. My little pupa shuddered violently and lay still. I knew I had murdered him, and in fact when the proscribed 21 days of metamorphosis had passed, he remained a little mummy.

I mourned him and put him in a tiny box that jewelers give you and left him where I could admire him from time to time. One day I came home to find a marvelous black and yellow (and blue too?)  striped butterfly plastered against a window - how did that get into the house? I looked at the little box, which thank fortune I had left open that day, and the shattered case told the tale.

It was the anniversary of the day my little sweetheart should have emerged the year before. What do you make of that? I will swear on anything you like that this is not fabricated or embroidered in the slightest. 

Carolyn