Relaxing in the shed with a cup of tea after a digging session, noticed I was sharing the space with a gorgeous coloured chrysalis. It's the pupa of a pieris brassicae, to quote its fancy name. No wonder it's got that brassicae bit in it's official title since it's more common name is the Cabbage White, the bane of allotment holders. Suppose I should have squashed it, but it was just too beautiful to damage.
Having been laid in late summer as a brood of 40 to 100 eggs, within two weeks she emerged as a caterpillar to decimate the surrounding vegetables. Highly visible to predators, she accumulated poisonous oils in her body as protection. After a few weeks she wandered off to find a suitable winter home, well away from her normal food source. This one has been overwintering since early autumn and will emerge as a butterfly in May.
Although we have our own home grown population, additional numbers migrate from the continent. The female can be distinguished from the male by her two black wing spots.
Here are a few images of her different stages...
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