Subject: What is going on here?
Geographic location of the bug: Central Virginia
Date: 09/05/2017
Time: 03:23 PM EDT
Hello, what exactly is going on here, and what insect am I looking at? A very pretty green with gold sparkles!
How you want your letter signed: Caroline
Dear Caroline,
This is a the chrysalis or pupa of a Monarch Butterfly. The Greek and Latin origins of the word chrysalis is gold, referring to the gold flecks often seen on many chrysalides, including the image you submitted. When eclosion time nears, the orange wings of the Monarch Butter are visible through the exoskeleton.