A whole mount of wing epithelium from a pupal butterfly, labeled with phalloidin, is featured in this section. Although stained with phalloidin, this digitally processed image was not provided a green color channel in Photoshop, so the wing scales appear colorless.

Butterfly Wing Specimen: Butterfly Pupal Wing Epithelium Technique: Fluorescence (Phalloidin Label)

The pupal stage of development, or chrysalis stage, lasts approximately one month for most butterfly species. Some species, however, have pupal phases that last as long as two years because of their hibernation process, or diapause. The species of butterfly, climate, and a host of other factors determine the precise length of this phase.

During the larval phase, a butterfly is known as a caterpillar, which uses its silk to attach itself to a host plant. After attachment, mobility and feeding cease, and a new pupal skin forms beneath the caterpillar's cocoon. Once organs have matured, the larval skin dismantles, and a newly hatched butterfly emerges with wings that are moist and uninflated. The butterfly hangs upside down and pumps blood into the wings to inflate them before taking flight for the first time.