Here is a picture of our caterpiller friend nibbling on milkweed. When I took this picture, I was unaware that the caterpiller was weaving a silk mat to attach to during the next stage of development: the pupa.
Here is this same caterpiller a few hours later, it has secured itself to the milkweed and become a J shape. It hung here for about a day. 
The next day, I decided the caterpillers needed some fresh air so, I took the vase of milkweed to the back porch; I was really busy all day but came home to find a pupa (chrysallis). Here are a couple pictures of this beautiful structure.
In Rhode Island, we have a few week window in early September to watch this awesome event. The monarch butterflies begin their migration to Mexico and lay their eggs on the milkweed plants along the roadsides. For the past three years I have tried to "catch" some caterpillers. It's really fun to watch this happening.
More later... the chrysallis will hang there for a week or two as the butterfly forms.
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