| Most
people know that before caterpillars become butterflies they must
go through a stage where it appears that no life exists at
all. This stage is called a pupa by scientists but everyone
else calls it a chrysalis. Chrysalis means 'golden'
and is so named because of the gold colouring or markings on many
of them. In times gone by they were also called 'aurelias',
which also means golden.
The Lesser Wanderer, one of
Australia's larger butterflies, has clear yellow-gold spots all
over the chrysalis and in keeping with this characteristic its
scientific name also incorporates the word for gold - chrysippus.
But the golden theme doesn't stop there. The name Danaus
comes from a Greek legend where the princess Danae was
visited by Zeus who turned himself into a shower of gold to
impress her.
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