Rochester Sun Times News
August 19, 2026 | 5:19 p.m. CDT
By Lisa Loucks-Christenson
At 3:28 p.m. CDT today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, Rochester, Minnesota’s monarch caterpillar known as Voyager began the remarkable transition from caterpillar to chrysalis.
Earlier in the day, Venus formed a chrysalis sometime between 1:00 and 6:00 a.m. Voyager became the second monarch transformation I documented today—and the sixth monarch in this season’s unfolding story.
Minutes before Voyager’s transformation, I said a prayer over the monarchs in my care. Seconds later, Voyager dropped into the familiar “L” position. The body began to bulge downward—down, down, down—before the caterpillar skin split and the chrysalis emerged.
In the newly formed chrysalis, an unusual black heart-shaped area appeared on Voyager’s back. The marking is visible within the chrysalis in a space the developing wings do not occupy. Each chrysalis reveals different details as the transformation begins. Sometimes a dark leg is visible; sometimes the salmon color of developing wings shows through. You never know what you may see after the caterpillar disappears.
At approximately 5:00 p.m. CDT—about one hour and 32 minutes after Voyager formed the chrysalis—the black heart-shaped marking remained visible but had not spread. Voyager’s chrysalis appeared stable as it continued to harden.
There are still more changes to come. Jupiter has been hanging through much of the day, with shrinking antennae and no visible mouth movement, but has not yet made the downward drop that begins the chrysalis process. Mars also appears ready. Noodle remains in caterpillar form.
Only Mars and Noodle remain as caterpillars. Each stage requires patience, attention, and faith in a process that cannot be hurried.
This ongoing monarch documentation will become part of my upcoming book:
NINE: My Mistakes, His Grace: How Nine Monarch Caterpillars Taught Us That Faith Comes Before Wings
The work is a record of observations, photographs, film, mistakes, prayer, loss, and wonder—told through the lives of nine monarch caterpillars in Rochester, Minnesota.
Note: This Photo was shot off my screen so it's a bit soft for this article. Photo © 2026 Lisa Loucks-Christenson. All rights reserved.
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About the Author
Lisa Loucks-Christenson is an investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, author, publisher, and wildlife photographer. She is the owner of Lisa Loucks-Christenson Publishing, LLC and founder of Rochester Sun Times News. Her work documents environmental, wildlife, legal, and community stories through reporting, photography, film, and books.