If ants find a chrysalis, they'll form their military like line and eat it. This happened to me years ago, when I had raised a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar successfully on a spicebush in a container. I had made a net covering that kept wasps from eating the caterpillar, but ants came right through the netting and ate the chrysalis - needless to say, I was heartbroken!

I also have found that black swallowtail caterpillars tend to disappear if left outside on the host plant. I don't know if it's wasps or birds or both, but something gets them. That's why I always raise them in a cage on my porch. I just wish I had some to raise this year!

Sherry

I have witnessed wasps eating black swallowtail caterpillars MANY times. In fact, wasps constantly patrol my BST nursery and I know they are looking for the cats. Sad but true. Definitely better to bring them inside or put in a cage if you want to see the entire process and/or help out the butterflies.

~Laura

I would imagine that there would be several different creatures that would eat the chrysalides. The fact is that butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalides make good food for many creatures. That is just the circle of life in action. I guess that is why butterfly mamas lay soooo many eggs. Every butterfly egg does not go on to become an adult butterfly. I feel that it's best and less stressful to just decide to be ok with that. JMHO. :)
Angie

I had that happen to me once. Actually twice, but the first time the chrysalis wasn't attached, so maybe its disappearance wasn't very surprising (I thought for a while about bringing it inside, but it disappeared before I could). The second time it WAS attached, and I was hoping it was hidden enough that would be OK, but one morning it was just gone. I was thinking it was probably a bird, or maybe a raccoon. Ants also entered my mind as a possibility, since I have seen how they can devour things into nothing just like that.